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Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern

Mark 1/1A Armored Car

Mark 1 Vehicle


Specifications

Country of Origin/Used by: Great Britain & Ireland
First Produced/Service Dates: 1920
Manufactured by: Rolls-Royce, Ltd. (RAF Vehicle Hulls produced at Royal Ordnance Factory - Woolwich)
Crew: 2-3
Armament: Turret: (1) Vickers .303 MG; Commander: (1) .303 Lewis Gun (on some later vehicles)
Engine: 6 Cylinder Gasoline
Miscellaneous Info: The 1920 Pattern vehicle is very similar to the earlier Rolls-Royce 1914 Admiralty Turreted and the later 1924 Pattern Armored Cars. That is not surprising as it is also based on the 40/50 Rolls Royce "Alpine Eagle" (aka "Continental") model chassis, although with some improvements.  The Alpine Eagle was an upgraded version of the normal 40/50 cars, which were commonly known as "Silver Ghosts". Interestingly, the 40/50 cars were not officially known as the Silver Ghost until approximately 1926.

The 1920 Pattern vehicle was built in two versions, the Mark 1 and the Mark 1A, with the Mark 1A being upgraded to some Rolls-Royce 1924 Pattern vehicle standards.   Some of the first production models were later sent to serve in Ireland and other colonies/commonwealth countries, including use by the Royal Air Force (RAF).  Not only did the RAF inherit a number of ex-Army vehicles, but they also had some vehicles built specfically for their use; which they referred to as the Rolls-Royce Armored Car Type A.  Some of these RAF cars even saw service in the early part of World War Two, including some modified to become improved Fordson Armored Cars. Besides minor changes and upgrades, the Fordsons used the original Rolls Royce hulls, but fitted to newer commercial truck chassis.

The identification of the (3) three similar Rolls-Royce turreted vehicle types is difficult at times. The vehicles were upgraded and improved a number of times as they were in service for many years. For instance, older pattern hulls were sometimes fitted to new vehicle suspension & drive trains.  "Typical" 1920 pattern vehicle characteristics include Michelin disc-wheels, a larger/higher turret, armored plate for machine gun aperture, sturdier front fenders, louvered front engine plates and the driver's cab front armor plate having "staggered" (1 higher & 1 lower) vision slits.
Data Sheet Available:   None Available

Photos

Reference Source/Provider
  Rolls-Royces of No. 3 RAF Armoured Car Company: Palestine 1929 (1914 pattern turret, 1920 pattern updated chassis/suspension?)  Gordon Angus Mackinlay - Australia
  Rolls-Royce 1914 Admiralty Turreted Pattern Armored Car Photo (1914 pattern body, 1920 pattern turret & new wheels/tires) US Library of Congress via Mark Holloway - Beatty, Nevada USA
Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern Mark 1 Armored Car Detail Photos (Bovington Tank Museum) Alan McNeilly - England
  Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern Mark 1 Armored Car Photo (In Irish Service) National Library of Ireland via "7996"
Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern Mark 1 Armored Car Photos (Bovington Tank Museum) Dennis Trowbridge - Bristol, UK
      Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern Mark 1 Armored Car Photos (with new wheels/tires) US Library of Congress
Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern Mark 1A Armored Car Photos (with new wheels/tires) US Library of Congress

References Available

Online

Reference Source/Provider
"Experience with Heavy Vehicles during World War 1" By W.F. Bradley Armored Car - The Wheeled Fighting Vehicle Journal (Issue #27)
"Rolls Royce Armoured Cars"  By Frank Canvin Rolls Royce Enthusiast Club of Australia
Rolls-Royce 1920 Pattern Armoured Car Line Drawings The Blue Prints.Com

Printed

Reference Author
AFV Plans: 1914-1938 Armored Fighting Vehicles (Stackpole Books) George Bradford
A Photo History of Armoured Cars In Two World Wars George Forty
"Battlefield Royalty" (August 2012 Issue of Military Machines International Magazine) Tim Gosling
British Armoured Cars: 1914-1945 B.T. White
Early Armoured Cars (AFV Profile #9) Major General N.W. Duncan
Early Armoured Cars (Shire Album #209) E. Bartholomew
Encyclopedia of Armoured Cars Duncan Crow & Robert J. Icks
  "Ghosts of the Military" (January 2021 Issue of Classic Military Vehicle Magazine) Richard Gunn
In Every Place: The RAF Armoured Cars in The Middle East 1921-1953 Nigel W.M. Warwick
"Irish Rolls-Royce" (August 2012 Issue of Military Machines International Magazine) Colin Stone
Rolls Royce Armoured Car, The (Osprey New Vanguard #189) David Fletcher
Rolls-Royce Armoured Car Owners' Workshop Manual: 1915-44 (All Models) (Haynes Publishing) David Fletcher
War Cars: British Armoured Cars in the First World War David Fletcher
Wheels of the RAF: Vehicles of the Flying Services Through Two World Wars Bruce Robertson

Hobby Modeling

Kits and Accessories

Model Kit Manufacturer Scale Other Information

Rolls-Royce Mark 1 (1920)/Fordson Armored Car Model Kit (RK-001)

Model Review by John Ratzenberger at Eastern Carolina Plastic Modelers (IPMS/USA) Website

Jordi Rubio

1/35 Resin.
Rolls-Royce Pattern 1920 Armored Car Model Kit Mayes Models 1/43 White Metal?
Rolls-Royce Pattern 1914/1920 Armored Car Model Kit (VS-010) Meng Model 1/35 Injection Molded Plastic.

Rolls-Royce Pattern 1920 Armored Car Model Kit (UK028) 

Millicast

1/72 Resin.

Rolls-Royce Mark 1 (1920) Armored Car Model Kit (RO801)

Another Model Review by John Ratzenberger at Eastern Carolina Plastic Modelers (IPMS/USA) Website

Roden

1/35 Injection Molded Plastic.
British Armed Forces Rolls-Royce Armored Car Mk1 1920 Model Kit (1901) Warslug (New Company) 1/35 Injection Molded Plastic.
       
Aftermarket Item Manufacturer Scale Other Information
Rolls Royce Pattern 1920 Armored Car Accessory Set (T35013) Black Dog 1/35 Resin.  For Roden Kit
British Rolls-Royce Armoured Car Balloon Sagged (Normal Rear) Wheel Set (1) (DW30043) DEF Model 1/35 Resin; For the Meng Kit.
British Rolls-Royce Armoured Car Balloon Sagged (Inverted Rear) Wheel Set (2) (DW30044) DEF Model 1/35 Resin; For the Meng Kit.
Rolls Royce Armored Car “Disc Type” Wheel Set (35092) Djiti's Production 1/35 Resin.  Designed for 1920 Pattern Vehicle
Rolls Royce Armored Car “Sand Type” Wheel Set (35093) Djiti's Production 1/35 Resin.  Designed for 1920 Pattern Vehicle
Rolls-Royce Armored Car Gun Barrel Set (MM35182 Magic Models 1/35 Resin and Brass Parts. For the Meng Model Kit
"Irish Air Corps: 1956-2010"  (MAX7220) Max Decals 1/72 & 1/35 1/72 Decals for aircraft and 1/35 for armor; including Rolls 1920 Pattern vehicle
Rolls-Royce Armored Car Road Wheels (Dunlop) (RE35-593) Panzer Art 1/35 Resin.
Rolls-Royce Armored Car Road Wheels (Engelbert) (RE35-594) Panzer Art 1/35 Resin.
British Armoured Car (Rolls Royce 1920 Pattern Mk 1) Wheels (TX0137) Trakz 1/35 Resin.

Model Photos

Reference Source/Provider
1/35 Roden Rolls-Royce Mark 1 (1920) Armored Car Chuck Aleshire - Shorewood, IL USA
1/35 Roden Rolls-Royce Mark 1 (1920) Armored Car Don Allen - Ottawa, Canada