Factory build sheet

2003 Volkswagen Beetle GL

Build 3VWBP21C-3 · 1.9L 4cyl · Hatchback

VIN positions 1 through 8 read 3VWBP21C and position 10 reads 3. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.

Every Beetle whose VIN starts 3VWBP21C and carries 3 in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 47 of them.

  • Decoded Jul 7, 2026
  • 47 known VINs
  • 1 listed for sale now

Factory specification

As filed by Volkswagen with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.

Engine

Displacement
1.9 L
Cylinders
4
Engine manufacturer
Volkswagen
Horsepower
90 hp
Fuel type
Diesel

Body & chassis

Body class
Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
NHTSA body type
PASSENGER CAR
Doors
2
Manufacturer
VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV

Weight rating

GVWR class
Class 1
GVWR
6,000 lb or less

Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.

How this VIN pattern is read

A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.

Positions Characters What they encode
1–3 3VW VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV · World manufacturer identifier
4–8 BP21C Model, body style, engine and restraint system
9 × Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build
10 3 Model year — 2003
11 × Assembly plant
12–17 ×××××× Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle

47 vehicles carry this build

Every VIN we have decoded to 3VWBP21C-3 shares the specification above.

  • 47 Known VINs
  • 1 Listed for sale now

Keep going

Where this data comes from

Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.

Vehicle counts come from the 47 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.