W1K — Mercedes-Benz
A VIN beginning W1K identifies a vehicle built by Mercedes-Benz in Germany, covering current C, E and S Class. The first character, W, is the region marker; the two that follow narrow it to the manufacturer and division.
Decode a full Mercedes-Benz VIN →
Other Mercedes-Benz codes
Large manufacturers hold several WMIs, usually split by plant or vehicle class.
Also built in Germany
Questions
›What car has a VIN starting with W1K?
A Mercedes-Benz built in Germany — typically current C, E and S Class. The three characters identify the manufacturer and plant region, not the specific model; characters 4–8 describe the model itself.
›Is W1K the same as the country of origin?
The first character alone gives the region — W indicates Germany. All three together identify the specific manufacturer and division within it.
›Can I tell the model year from W1K?
No. The WMI says who built the vehicle, not when. Character 10 carries the model year, and character 7 helps resolve which of its two possible years applies.