The already highly dubious theory that the missing numbers on groups 14000 and 17000 could chained continuously without any interruption falls into the water with a very big FLOP !! I'm surprised has half, but it is not negative, quite the contrary...because it proves that it was done randomly at least for the 17000 series.
We start to see just a bit of light at the end of the tunnel...
And those who want to help in the census by providing the numbers 14000 and 17000 that are missing are welcome!! It's good to read other posts but occasionally a small post on your part is good too... 
E-14138 <---> E-14143 = 5 (missing)
E-14143 <---> E-14149 = 6 (missing)
E-14149 <---> E-14170 = 21 (missing)
E-17118 <---> E-17135 = 17 (missing)
E-17135 <---> E-17196 = 61 (missing)
E-17196 <---> E-17199 = 3 (missing)
E-17199 <---> E-17417 = 218 (missing)
Diecast engine registered of the serie 14000 among the missing numbers : 0
Diecast engine registered of the serie 14000 among the missing numbers : 3 E-17237 / E-17281 / E-17361
WOW. appears these sandcast cases were fitted randomly and not consecutively. a bit more surprising than if the Evins were consecutive.
possibly this idea has been brought up before, due to the shortage of units for distribution for worldwide sales, the factory decided to use all available parts including left over sandcast cases to fill orders leaving the factory. it's hard for me to believe, a major vehicle manufacturer's assembly build practice would randomly fit cases no longer produced. BUT, here we are ! certainly appears the factory did. there is nothing wrong with a sandcast case vs a diecast case.
E14143 has a casting date of 9/11. To my way of thinking, a 14XXX Evin would have been assembled around late October to mid November and 17xxx Evin assembled around early December.
the French sandcasts, at least to date, are such a few number of machines, it seems kind of unlikely but not improbable a few more units assembled for export built with sandcast cases would make any significant impact to satisfy demand.
Maybe the assembly foreman told the line workers to use up the left over sandcast cases rather than destroy them. that and Honda's efforts to satisfy demand, resulted in building the French sandcasts.
what casting dates are found on other French sandcast Evins ?the most interesting feature of the actual Evins is the jump or gap between what we recognize as the "last" 14xxx vin and the "first" 17xxx vin.
we may never know......