COOKE STREET* (ref 03, double cardboard, scale 1/29)
For every RR aficionado, this is, no doubt, a real treat : the first Royce cars ever, built in 1904 by Henry Royce, a 40 year old electrical engineer, for himself and the other director of Royce Ltd, yet with the intention to switch from electric cranes ... to the Best Car in the World.
These three historic Royces are only 10.5 cm long but they count 65 parts each, so they are true models and not children's give away Kellogg's style card-board plates. They were created on computer, using RR drawings and they all have different rear-entrance tonneau coachworks on similar chassis. (Illustrated is Royce #3, these are not ink drawings but photos of the actual scale model, étonnant, n'est-ce-pas ?)
*Cooke Street was the address of the RR factory in Manchester, cradle of the Marque.
Third Royce : chassis #15880?.
Engine tested in April-May 1904. The chassis number is highly probable but not confirmed since the tests were not carried out in chronological order.
First Body by John Roberts of Manchester, fitted in May and retained until September 1904. It was transferred from Royce nƒ1 with the N-MR-6 registration number. One of the quickest means to make out Royce #1 from Royce #3 is the reverse brake handle (the mobile part faces backwards on Royce #3 - see correct detail on the scale model.) This chassis was used as a laboratory by Royce all along its development. Contrarily to common belief, that car was not that of Henry Edmunds, the third man in the history of Rolls-Royce, but it was registered in Royce's name and almost exclusively used by himself.
Second body, "rear entrance tonneau" by unknown coachbuilders. This one also comes from Royce #1, but refinished in dark red with light red wings . It was fitted in September 1904 and registered N-MR-7, and then M-612 on 26th September 1904.
Since both coachworks came from Royce #1, it is the third body which was chosen to represent this model.
Third body, "rear entrance tonneau" by Barker. Probably finished in red, it remained on this chassis from March 1905 to 1923. On 12th April 1905, a red tonneau Royce was registered M-795 in the name of Charles H. Benton, ofKnutsford. Around 1909, it came back to Manchester to be used as a works hackney, with only two seats and a pick-up rear end, registered M-612.
Positive identification of period photos is complicated by the fact that bodies and registrations were often swapped. However, the three scale models faithfully represent the first three Royce cars in History with all desired accuracy.
Royce prototype no3.
Royce prototype no1.
Royce prototype no2.
|
| |
Top of Page
Rolls, Royce, Rolls-Royce, rolls, royce, rolls-royce, Christiane, Blaize, blaize, photos, Photos, automobiles, pictures, models, Silver, silver, Phantom, phantom, miniatures, cars, toys, Bentley, scale, club, jouets, voitures, prestige, luxe, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, Shadow, Spirit, Spur, Seraph, Cloud, Camargue, Corniche, Phantom, 20/25, 25/30, Legalimit, Invisible engine, Twenty, maquettes, Crewe, Derby, kit, tableaux, peintures, aquarelles, huiles, peintre, artiste, paintings, Paintings, watercolours, oils, gallery, painter, artist, galerie, vintage, classic, collection, modèles réduits
|
