Dating an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur
Most Ambassadeurs made from 1964 into the 1980s carry a six-digit number on the foot, the part that fits the rod. Read in pairs, it usually gives the year and month the reel was made.
- From mid 1964 into the 1980s, the six-digit number stamped on an Ambassadeur's foot is usually a lot number: three pairs of digits, two of them a year and a month, the last a revision.
- The revision pair starts at 00 for a new model and counts up (01, 02) after a parts or design change.
- If the first two pairs cannot be read as a year and a month, the number is a serial number, and a serial number cannot date a reel to a month or a year without the factory's shipping records.
- The 5000A, 5000B and 5000C kept serial numbers until 1971, while other models moved to lot numbers in 1964. The 5000C's serial numbers started at 10001 in 1966.
The three ways the number was written
| Years | How to read it | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 to 1969 | Month, then 0, then the last digit of the year, then the revision | 080400 | August 1964, no revisions |
| 1970 to mid or late 1972 | Month, year, revision (MMYYXX) | 097000 | September 1970 |
| Late 1972 into the 1980s, the most common | Year, month, revision (YYMMXX) | 730900 | September 1973 |
Collectors warn that the numbering has an exception to every rule: read a date code as a strong hint, not as proof.
Other marks that date a reel
| When | Mark |
|---|---|
| 1952 to 1953 | The first Record Ambassadeur 5000s, sold in Europe only, are engraved MOD SG on the lower left side plate. |
| 1954 | The Record Ambassadeur 5000 reached the United States. |
| 1957 and 1958 | Side plates read Record above Ambassadeur until the end of 1957, and ABU above Ambassadeur from early 1958. |
| 1967 and 1975 | C was engraved beside the model number from the 5000C of 1967; A and B only from 1975. |
| January 1968 | End plates changed from 4 screws to 3 (except on the ABU 3000 and the Ambassadeur 4000). |
| 1972 | Beveled-rim side plates replaced grooved rims, with some overlap of old parts. A foot with small dimples around the lot number dates from late 1972 or later. |
| 1984 on | The company name changed from ABU to Abu Garcia, so Abu Garcia branding on a reel dates it to 1984 or later. |
What Ambassadeurs sell for
| Model | Value | Sales, 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Ambassadeur 5000 | $41.00 | 264 |
| Ambassadeur 5500C | $41.00 | 177 |
| Ambassadeur 6000 | $50.00 | 92 |
| Ambassadeur 5000C | $42.49 | 91 |
| Ambassadeur 6500C | $60.00 | 65 |
| Ambassadeur 2500C | $165.00 | 59 |
| Ambassadeur 7000 | $86.29 | 52 |
| Ambassadeur 6000C | $49.00 | 38 |
| Ambassadeur 5000D | $56.00 | 37 |
| Ambassadeur 5500 | $92.01 | 35 |
| Ambassadeur 4600C | $54.50 | 32 |
| Ambassadeur 5600C | $64.95 | 27 |
Sources: Fred Ribb, ABU Ambassadeur collector notes; realsreels.com, Dating ABU reels; Abu Garcia, About us.