What brand is more British than Rolls-Royce? Well, at least until around 2003. This is Lesney Matchbox 44a, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. This casting entered the range in 1958, and is a lovely piece of detail and proportion, just like the Phantom V that followed it as 44b. This is a handsome model in a nice color:
The Silver Cloud is one of the all time classic Rolls-Royce designs, and is still what many picture when they think of the brand. Rolls-Royce of the era were fairly timeless in design, and this one definitely is. By the original date of release of this model, it would be a Silver Cloud I. This casting has ample detail from all sides:
This specific example, with silver wheels (my favorite) and a type “D” box, is from the final run of this casting, and was likely made in 1962 or 1963. Earlier examples can have grey metal or grey plastic wheels, but I like these as they are relatively unusual:
Here’s a nice 1:1 example from wikipedia:
Until tomorrow!