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Watto, the 1, 2, 3 and 4 after the 022D2S refer to the trim level and not the series variant.
For instance the Leyland Mini can have 021D2S1 or 021D2S1. The 021 is what identifies the normal Leyland Mini.
The Leyland Mini S is 022D2S but can also have a 1 or a 2 depending on the spec.
I have a Leyland Mini S with 022D2S1.
OK, so what does the fourth digit represent?
022 is Mini Clubman - YDO22, as 025 is Marina - YDO25.
2S is two-door saloon.
M is manual
09 is 998cc engine
That much we agree on.
If trim level is substituted for model, the result is the same: ie the models were in order of the trim level. So, I concede that the 7th digit refers to trim level, which happens to coincide with the the chronological order of the model.
1st model was Mini Clubman, 2nd model was Mini Clubman S (later Mini S), 3rd model was Mini SS and fourth model was Mini LS.
Similarly: trim level 1 is Clubman (later simply Leyland Mini when 998cc engine reintroduced with move to Enfield), trim level 2 is Mini S, level 3 is SS and level 4 is LS.
Now, YDO21 refers to Mini 1100 and was the fleet spec, or poverty pack, base model (call it what you like). YDO21V was the van.
So 021D2S would be base model Mini, and would therefore, by definition have trim level 1.
022 is Mini Clubman - ie YDO22, which had a higher standard spec than YDO21 - instruments in front of driver instead of single central speedo, remote gear selector instead of 850-style pudding stirrer.
When the 1098cc engine was discontinued, after the move to Enfield in May 1975, the base model Mini 1100 was replaced with the Leyland Mini. However, the Leyland Mini is YDO22, not YDO21 - as it has the instruments in front of the driver and the remote gearchange.
Mini Clubman S became Leyland Mini S.
Mini S, SS and LS remain YDO22 as they are only trim level changes, without any engineering drawing being required.
YDO23 was Clubman GT, which required separate engineering drawings because of the 1275 engine, disc brakes, triple gauges, etc.
All this considered, I don't see how you could have a Mini S which has lowest trim level. Of course it wouldn't be the first time that there had been something unusual to throw everything into disarray. Does the Compliance Plate say Mini or Mini S?
It also appears that Zetland plates and Enfield plates were stamped differently.
This is a Zetland plate for a 1972 Clubman GT

Note how it is only listed as a Mini, with chassis prefix YG2S8 (being for YDO23 Clubman GT). YG2S6 was for YDO21 Mini 1100, while YG2S7 was for YDO22 Mini Clubman. This prefix system changed in 1973, because Leyland introduced new standards to cover the whole Leyland range (which included all of BMC products and more).
This is a Zetland plate for a 1973 Mini Clubman S.

This also only lists it as a Mini, but has 022 (for YDO22 - Mini Clubman) and trim level 2. However, the fourth digit is A, but this is not an automatic. The seventh digit is I (WTF?) while the last two digits are 10, for 1098cc.
This is an Enfield plate for 1976 Mini SS.

This has the vehicle description on a separate line from the chassis code and number. In this case, it is listed as Leyland Mini SS, and the trim level is 3.
Similarly, other plates from this period list Mini S, LS, etc.
This is the plate from Chris Zerial's Sunshine, listed as Mini S.

OK, getting back to the fourth digit.
What does the D stand for?
The Mini SS featured in TME also had a D, while all the LS I have seen have and X.
Chris Zerial's Sunshine also has an X - but is 022X2S2M09, meaning a Mini S. The Sunshine extras were sales and marketing additions, on top of the Mini S trim level, but you would think that with the SS and LS getting different trim levels, so too would the Sunshine. Just another one to confuse the issue.
The supplied example for the Marina gives the fourth digit as A or B, meaning auto or manual, but then also gives the seventh digit as being for transmission type.
The 1973 Clubman S causes confusion, because the fourth digit is A, but the car is manual, and the seventh digit is I (not 1), whatever that means.
So why would some model Minis have D or X as the fourth digit, and why does the 1973 Clubman S not conform with either?
Cheers,
Watto[/quote]