*v**** serial number

Perhaps a poorly stamped *N*****? 

Bill:

The " V" is an anomoly.  It occurred between 48 & 49..The serial # chart is the best reference we have (many thanks to the author), but, it is not all encompassing.  There is a thread from about 3 years ago which addressed this, sadly, I cannot find it.  Perhaps one of the other members can find it.

Cheers

Wayne, you are absolutely correct, and this topic was dealt with a couple of years ago. I made up the serial number list about 20 years ago based on information provided in an early 1950's CCM VIM magazine. The serial numbers that i gave from the early 1950's up to 1960 were just extrapolated from the information given and may not be completely accurate. As far as the V serial number goes, I think it was used between about September 1948 and early 1949. At this point I think CCM started using their serial number letters according to calender year rather than starting the new year's serial numbers around September like the automotive industry does (I am not sure how this practice got started).

John Williamson

Also, for 1949, CCM once again started with the letter A.

John Williamson

Anybody ever seen an old raleigh ranger instead of a ccm ranger which looks the same?.well i have one says made in england with a Resilion hub

wonder what its worth?..I know ccm made the ranger like early 70's but raleigh could of made this ranger ealier over there and does have an old Resilion hub,could be earlier than 70's?

While the automotive industry may code serial numbers in model years, based on my experience the bicycle industry has historically operated on a calendar year basis for their serial numbers. CCM's 1960s and 1970s serial number format is definitely based on calendar years, as there are several single year models, such as the Cenntennials, which have serial numbers spanning two year codes. CCM's V-code is an anomaly, just like the bottom shell location for the serial numbers, which occured at the same time. 

The 1921-1952 codes are considered definitive based on the VIM extract used by John. I've managed to define the 1964-1974 codes based on 1,000+ sales records. These don't entirely match with the widely publicized chart but have been published and discussed in this thread http://www.vintageccm.com/content/1960s-and-1970s-serial-numbers

I've also established what I believe are the codes for 1975-1980 based on the limited samples that I've been able to collect. They are different than the published chart.

Hi T-Mar,

I am just speculating about the switch from model year to calender year. I have a ladies CCM that I bought from the original owner. Her father bought it fot her right after the end of WWII - that was September or October 1945. The serial number on the bike seemingly indicates tat it is a 1946. I also had a pre-war CCM "Motorbike" where the owner told me something similar which would contradict the serial number year date in a similar way. I am fairly confident that the 1950's serial numbers correspond to calender years.

John

John,

Model years provide an issue in that the start date can change from year to year or even between models within a year. For the early codes, another possibility is that they are based on fiscal years. CCM was incorporated in late August, so it's possible that they retained September to August as a fiscal year. It would correspond roughly to the start of the new model year, but would be fixed. I have no evidence to back this up and mention it only as another possibility to consider, as it would also explain your examples.