New Zealand Matchbox

[toysnz]

the superking roller! wow!

I wasn't aware it was a SuperKing... when I saw the photo I had assumed it was part of the 1-75 Superfast range...

Steve - where and when did you come to the conclusion it was a SuperKing?

Ian

[matchboxkiwi]

Ian, I just assumed it was as it was with a number of photo's all with the same background of pre production superkings. It has more detail than the smaller 1-75 models with the lady on the front and an aerial. All my photo's of the 1-75's have a different background and don't look like the same kind of photo at all.
You may be right.

Cheers Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I have also accepted this as a model destined for the 'Superkings' range and I do not know the specifics of the New Zealand 'Coat of Arms', but the picture is transposed because the Radio ariel is on the wrong side of the car, so after flipping it around and colour correction, we can see the model clearer.

Silver Shadow II.JPG (93.72 KiB) Viewed 5791 times

The level of detail put on this 'Protoype' would suggest a model based on it will be of circa 1/43rd scale. It is a shame we did not get this as a full production model, because I could always find another little place in my collection for a relatively cheaply made and marketed Rolls-Royce, especially a Silver Shadow II.

Ghosthunter.

[toysnz]

Ian, I just assumed it was as it was with a number of photo's all with the same background of pre production superkings. It has more detail than the smaller 1-75 models with the lady on the front and an aerial. All my photo's of the 1-75's have a different background and don't look like the same kind of photo at all.
You may be right.

Cheers Steve
Matchboxkiwi

Fair enough Steve - after all I only got to see the original photo once in my barber's shop all those years ago (over 11 years ago)

Interesting that Kevin picked the photo was the wrong way round - I don't think that is correct - the aerial on most NZ cars was always on the passenger side of the vehicle so why RR or Matchbox would choose to put one on the driver's side beats me! I've taken a look at my original HUGE scan of the photo and cannot discern any interior at all... so the position of the steering wheel (if any) cannot be seen in the scans I have, HOWEVER as a former Corporate Planner for the State Services Commission (a Government Department) I am very familiar with the NZ Parliamentary Crest which is the same as the NZ Coat of Arms and that Maori figure is always to the RIGHT side of the crest as shown here:


Ian

[toysnz]

BTW - If produced for a Royal Tour it was probably for the Royal Tour 1981 for Liz and Phil and not for the Royal Tour 1979 when Anne was here...

Ian

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Thank's for the Coat of Arms image and confirming the Matchbox model it appears on is correct, but no Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Family car has it's Aerial on the passenger side front wing, even cars destined for Foreign markets have it on the same side as UK cars, so why it is there on the model is odd, whoever made the model must have been guessing or the photo they worked from was transposed and therefore wrong.

Ghosthunter.

[toysnz]

Thank's for the Coat of Arms image and confirming the Matchbox model it appears on is correct, but no Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Family car has it's Aerial on the passenger side front wing, even cars destined for Foreign markets have it on the same side as UK cars, so why it is there on the model is odd, whoever made the model must have been guessing or the photo they worked from was transposed and therefore wrong.

Ghosthunter.

Kevin... As the resident expert on Rolls Royce I defer to your expertise... and of course you are right as all the photos I can track on Google of NZ based RR of that era have the aerial on the driver's side. Perhaps the modeller concerned was a Kiwi and simply put the aerial on the side they were most used to seeing one?

Ian

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Yes very probably, you can imagine him sitting at his workbench and glancing out of the window and noting the car aerials in the car park...

Ghosthunter.

[matchboxkiwi]

I thought a Rolls Royce model was in the Kingsize range around 1985/86. The range might not have been called the Kingsize range at that time though. I wander if this model influenced that model being issued?

Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[Taniwha]

...but no Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Family car has it's Aerial on the passenger side front wing...

Ghosthunter.

I'm loving the description of a Rollie as a "Family Car" Ghosty! I should get one - I can just picture myself on a school run or at the supermarket or even for a family outing to the zoo...

Cheers,
Gavin