OK, I wasn't going to add my 2 cents to this, but I'm going out on a limb here..............
It is my belief that it WAS the Corvette people who started this whole mess of "matching numbers". Advertisements for cars for sale that 1st used the term "numbers match" were always for Corvettes. Afterall, they were the only marque of car in the hobby (that I know of) that has a National sanctioning body that allowed (if not encouraged) restamping on components for judging credit. As long as the "numbers matched" and appeared "as original", then FULL judging credit was allowed (and still is to this day!).
Now, as to your original question....... Since the term "numbers matching" has lost it's original meaning and is used by every seller who's found a correctly dated part, when I see that term used, I automatically assume it's a built, made, or bogus car. As others have stated, if the components were ORIGINAL, then that should be the statement.
No one really knows what "numbers matching" means; we all just know what we'd LIKE it to mean... But everyone knows what "Original Driveline" means!!!!
No interpretation needed!
Thanks for the chance to vent.
Verne