A vehicle identification number (VIN), also called a chassis number, is a unique code, including a serial number, used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles, towed vehicles, motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, as defined in ISO 3833. VINs were first used in 1954.

Read more about VINs here. That's the Wikipedia page for VINs... how the system was born, how it's been developed over the years, and where things stand now.

Get more understanding of Volvo VIN Decoding. See an example of decoding the VIN of a 1996 Volvo, though the basics are the same for every year and every model. So if you absord that, it's a template you can apply to any Volvo.