Exactly what makes a MOPAR a "Matching Numbers" car?

i think there's "numbers matching" and then there's "a numbers car" and where that line of demarcation exists can be a little objective.

personally when i hear "numbers matching", i take that to mean the vin matches the body bits and the motor and transmission are matched to that vin, or at the very least correct year, and the rear end as wells as other options are what the fender tag denotes. if it's a 340 car with headers instead of manifolds or the gears have been swapped from 3.23 to 3.90's that's not what i would consider out of hand.

but when i hear "that's a numbers car"? that is when i expect to see the correct date coded alternator, repop coded spark plug wires and properly cad plated pieces in the correct places types of things. it should be just as it rolled off the assembly line and maintained with as much rigor as reasonably possible-- they repop coded belts, hoses and the like for a reason.

further from that, if somebody says "numbers matching" i take that as: this is what it came with from the factory and it hasn't been swapped out. for example, here's a 68 cuda 318/904 numbers matching vs. here's a 68 cuda formula S 340/4spd but now with a stroker 360.