24c Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow saloon.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I was surprised to find there was not a seperate thread on the #24c Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow saloon, only contributions from forum members in other threads. So here is a blank canvas for it and to start, I want to comment on the current picture attached to Nick's Code listing for this model, shown below. I don't know if Nick plans to change the picture, not a problem if not.

US Specification Series I car.jpg (141.27 KiB) Viewed 1523 times

The pictured car is a United States specification Left Hand Drive car with orange wing marker lights and small front index plate and on this particular example, the optional side trim-strip running between the two wheel-arches, this was never offered on UK cars. It also has the impact absorbing bumpers making this car look like a 'Series II' car from the UK market.

The "Matchbox" model was first introduced in March 1967 and based on a UK Right Hand Drive car and the main body colour chosen for the model was a lighter pinky colour version of an actual early production car (click on this link to see it...viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2196).

The colour changed to a darker version of this pink and then finally a colour much closer to the real car several months later, only to become darker still towards the period when this model was to be converted to 'Superfast' status.

Shown below are versions 1 and 1A (My Code system, not Nick's), with '1' being the lighter shade, both models have gloss black baseplates and both models came in the 'E4 box' with blue car artwork.

1 and 1A.JPG (82.79 KiB) Viewed 1523 times

[GHOSTHUNTER]

The first model on Nick's code listing is described as red (detail below), and until you can put a couple of these models together, red is about the best description for it, but compare the two pictured examples with a much later example, say one with the 'Patent Number' on the baseplate and these first models are distinctly pinky in colour and because of the two shades found, I describe them as 'Light Pink' and 'Dark Pink'.

Code 1.JPG (22.38 KiB) Viewed 1568 times

After these 'Pinky' coloured models (8 versions in 'MY' collection), the colour was much more of a red colour and I describe this as 'Cherry Red' a colour that more or less stayed consistant into the first couple of 'Superfast' version models, however there is one in a 'Dark Cherry Red'.

I fully understand other collectors of this model will have a different way of describing the colour shades and the number of different variations found in their collections, but this is the way I have found works for me and I am not offering this as a replacement to Nick's code listing.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[kerbside]

Hello Ghosthunter, here are the four 24c models I have, on Nicks listings from Left to Right codes 2-3-7-9.



George T.

[Taniwha]

Mr Ghosty esquire,

It is indeed a surprise there is no thread already for this model given the proliferation (or do I mean profiteroles) of Rolls-Royce related threads around here

I think it is a shame that this model was never issued in silver like the later #39 SF model (the series II Shadow) - Silver always suits a Rollie best IMHO.

Just wait until I start on the Commers!

Cheers,
Gavin

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Thank you George for your picture, most welcome and thank you Gavin for your comments, but please none of this 'Mr', 'Esquire' etc, I'm a simple guy (my school reports can confirm this!), just Ghosty is fine

"Gavin" mentions the idea of #24c not being finished in a Silver colour and this is one of the colours chosen before full production started and one example has been photographed for a model magazine article (shown below), and the model is either a 'Pre-Pro' or a colour trial, it has not been confirmed either way, but looking at how the glazing component is falling down inside the model, it may well be a 'Pre-Pro'.

SILVER COLOUR TRIAL, MID-1967.jpg (49.97 KiB) Viewed 1530 times

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

As usual it's difficult showing colour shade differences on electronic viewing equipment, but I think you'll agree the four models shown in the picture posted by "Kerbside" is showing two distinct shades, so I have posted another picture here with 'MY' models 1 and 1A and a later model with the 'Patent' number on it's baseplate (closest to the Camera), to see if you can see how much more of a red colour (what I call 'Cherry Red'), these later models are.

The first model on Nick's code listing with the 'Patent' number is CODE 7, so a few models away from my first two in the same picture.

1, 1A and 'Patent Number' model.JPG (52.41 KiB) Viewed 1523 times

GHOSTHUNTER.

[johnboy]

Hello Ghosty, this is a photo I posted on befora showing the red and pinky/red, I can't remember the codes without digging them out but I remember the pinky/red was without the pat number.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Correct "Johnboy" all 'Pinky red' and a fair number of 'Cherry red' models do not have the 'Patent' number on the baseplate, according to my listing and research it was added to the baseplate during 1968 and then put into the 'E4-R' Box (the box with the added 'R' in a circle for registration) shown below.

1968 'E4-R' Box..jpg (59.47 KiB) Viewed 1481 times

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Each "Matchbox" '1-75 Series' model has several ways of identifying which model it is against another seemingly similar model, get enough of them and you can sort them out into a production 'Time-Line'. #24c is no exception, it has casting changes outside (the tow guides at the front), changes inside (the rear wheel-arch brace), the hinge-arm apertures in the boot (two sizes), wheel design (two types), glazing moulding (two types) and base rivet design (small and large). Additional to this are the paint finishes on the baseplate, with gloss black, semi gloss black and matt black. This is an area where each collector may describe a finish slightly different, where I say 'Semi-matt black', to someone else this is probably what they call 'Satin' black and so on.

Nick's Code listing picks up on most of the above, but not the type of glazing moulding, so I have included a picture below showing the two types.

Glazing 'Ejector' circles.jpg (57.39 KiB) Viewed 1477 times

What you are looking at are two 'Ejector' circles moulded into the surface of the glazing component, there are four of these, but the two over the front seats can be 'Level' (in-line with each other), or 'Staggered' (one set further back from the other one), and models with both types seem to be available together through most of the production period of #24c.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

The baseplate rivets are two distinct sizes with the first earlier models having the smaller size, but this did not hold the baseplate as tight as it should have done and the tooling for the rivet post was modified to make the post longer, allowing more metal to be 'Spun-Down' to create a larger diameter head holding the baseplate tighter.

Small and Large rivets.jpg (62.57 KiB) Viewed 1471 times

GHOSTHUNTER.