NICB Offers 80 Years of Vehicle Identification Information on CD

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Feb 02, 2012, 06:00 ET

DES PLAINES, Ill., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since its creation in 1912, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has been the nation's leading resource on vehicle theft and identification. Since 1937, NICB has been producing an annual Passenger Vehicle Identification Manual to assist law enforcement, insurance companies and others in determining the history and authenticity of a vehicle.

Now, for the first time, NICB is offering a compilation of every manual produced from 1937 through 2011. Available on CD in a searchable PDF format, this product will be particularly valuable to car collectors, dealers, auto auctions and others seeking a single source of accurate information. It can be searched by year or make of vehicle.

This CD contains vehicle identification information dating back to 1931 when engines typically had an ID number stamped on them by the manufacturer. Vehicle identification numbers (VINs) were first introduced in 1954. In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standardized the VIN format and required them on all road vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States.

The most recent manuals provide information on the structure and decoding for most U.S. and Canadian passenger vehicles, including light duty trucks, motorcycles/ATVs and some snowmobiles.

Visit here for more information and a demonstration.

The CDs may be ordered on NICB's Web site at www.nicb.org. The cost is $99 per copy, which includes shipping and handling. The CDs are licensed for one individual user and copyright law prohibits duplication. The printed version of the 2011 Passenger Vehicle Identification Manual is also available at a cost of $10 per copy. The 2012 manual will be coming soon.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $319 billion in insurance premiums in 2010, or approximately 80 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 94 percent ($152 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.

SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau