By projecting the chassisnumbers on time schedules a view comes into existence of the link between the production terms.
The time schedule above shows the term in which the 4-door saloon Silver Shadow was produced. In 1980 the production of the Silver Spirit started and the production of the Corniche convertible (not the Corniche 2-door saloon) and the Camargue were continued. In the time schedule below the chassisnumbers of the term from 1981 is shown.
Start of
Time
Start of
production
schedule
modelyear
|
Explanation of the numbers at the left side of the time schedule
At the left side of the time schedule the moment is visible that the production of the indicated chassisnumber started. The month in which the production started has been copied from the booklet "Chassis Numbers Booklet", TSD Publication 4552, published by Rolls-Royce Motors Limited in 1983. Do you want to know the exact month, take a look at the relevant production page.
The numbers can be read in the next way. The production of number 1001 started in August 1965, the production of number 2000 started in August 1966, the production of number 3000 started in October 1967, etcetera.
Explanation of the numbers at the right side of the time schedule
From 1972 on the American cars got a special letter for every separate modelyear. In 1972 that was an A, in 1973 a B, etcetera. The chassisnumbers at the right side of the time schedule are the first chassisnumbers for the 4-door saloon for every modelyear. The first chassisnumbers for the Long Wheelbase and Corniche can be a little bit earlier or later than the numbers of the standard saloon.
Differences between left and right
Already in earlier years than 1972 the American cars got a plate on the A-pillar. On these plates the month and year of manufacturing were mentioned. Where in the Rolls-Royce booklet is written that the production of the 30001 had been started in November 1976, is written on the plate of this car that the month of manufacturing was January 1977. Because the production of a car lasted several months, it is sometimes hard to point out one month of manufacturing.
Irregularities
In the first years there were many irregularities. These are illustrated in the pages where the chassisnumbers are treated. There has been explained why number 6001 was produced earlier that 4000 and 5001 and why the numbers 5000, 6000 and 9000 didn't exist.
The 1979 coachbuilt cars (Corniche and Camargue) were numbered in the 50000-series, while the Silver Shadow was continued in the current 30000- en 40000-series.
|
Time
Start of
schedule
modelyear
|
Explanation
The Corniche and Camargue from modelyear 1980 still had a number from the series mentioned above
(1965 - 1980). That changed in modelyear 1981, the second year of the Silver Spirit.
The 1980 Silver Spirit got a new chassisnumber that existed of 17 positions. By the letter A could be recognised that the car was from modelyear 1980. Modelyear 1981 got a B in the chassisnumber, modelyear 1982 a C, etcetera.
The first Corniche from modelyear 1981 was the SCAYD0009BCH01557, in short the BCH01557.
Next to the time schedule is defined when the production of the modelyear started and what the first numbers were. These data are deducted from the production plates on the A-pillars of the cars.
I have too little data of the cars from 1992 on to be sure about the exact month the production of that modelyear started. I am sure about the first numbers, but it is not sure whether the months are correct to which the arrows point to. That is the reason for the different colour of the arrow.
The last number was given to a Corniche IV with chassissnumber SCH50170 that probably was produced in the second quarter of 1995.
|
|
Marinus Rijkers. Disclaimer
