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Rare variation with white driver

I like these in orange and would love to find one

One of my best finds in 2015, the 24c Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in the rare Japanese blister card. The model inside has 5 spoke square wheels and small wheel arches. And, though hard to see from my picture, it's of a slightly darker shade of gold similar to the bottom right example.

Hi all. Sandown Park show last saturday was great. Among others, I scored a yellow Team Matchbox with 8 label on hood. So thrilled I totally forgot to check its roll bar, which is supposed to be thinner on this early variation. Well, it is ! See pic. Anybody having different yellow 24b label / roll bar combinations ?

More evidence of a model being made in Two sets of moulds (tooling), as the particular detail has no job to do so is unlikely to have been modified because of a weak spot or production problems, it is a representation of the roll bar on the real car and would not need to be changed/modified, clearly Two models shown here from Two sets of moulds and in this instance it would be difficult just using the roll bar to put these models in order of production issue. More examples of this model in the various colours would have to be used and a study of any other casting details, oh, and the wheel mould numbers could help...

Ghosthunter.

I have finally added the dot-dash wheel version J-4 Silver Shadow to my collection and to help confirm the wheel design was in use on so many models from 1978 onwards, the model shown here has the larger rear wheel-arch body casting used for the Second J-4 release through 1978.
Ghosthunter.

Ghosthunter, I checked my 24b fleet and except variation shown above they all have a thick roll bar. It doesn't look like a 2 sets of moulds case to me, more like a modified mould (strengthened roll bar) shortly after model release in 1973. Please have a look at Professor F website, his variation list only puts thin roll bar on yellow 24b with "8" label on bonnet.

Matchboom wrote:Ghosthunter, I checked my 24b fleet and except variation shown above they all have a thick roll bar. It doesn't look like a 2 sets of moulds case to me, more like a modified mould (strengthened roll bar) shortly after model release in 1973. Please have a look at Professor F website, his variation list only puts thin roll bar on yellow 24b with "8" label on bonnet.

That is correct. The thin roll bar is only found on pre-pros and on very early production models including that elusive yellow number 8 issue, which was supposedly issued to the market in small quantities. The metallic red number 8 issue is supposed to exist with the thin roll bar also, although I have never consciously seen one in real life (although I have to admit that is not something I actively look for).

The yellow number 4 issue was made for gift sets at a later date so comes only with the thick roll bar.

Thank's Guys for the comments. It seems my statement about Two sets of moulds for this model does not (yet!) apply.

Ghosthunter.

Could it be that the edges of the windshield were modified too? To me it looks like the model to the right has 45° edges where the windshield meets the cockpit sides, while the other has a shorter windshield with a step but not an angle. Or is it just the picture (or my eyes)?