Early Ruby MK1 colour questions

[darcher121]

I understand that Ruby dashboards are a wood effect colour, apart from the dial panel.
I cannot see any evidence of this on my car. Having rubbed back a small patch of the dash all I get is black top coat, muddy red undercoat then base metal.
This is the same on several other parts of the car.
Some very old tatty paperwork suggests it was once all blue, but, again no evidence of this.
Perhaps the car was completely stripped to bare metal in the past, which I guess is possible?
It is currently maroon with black above.

So……
Is it possible that it never had a Wood effect dash?
And is a 2 tone Ruby correct? The books I have read say they were only one colour.

It is a very early ruby built in August/September 1934, car no 671.

[John Mason]

Hi, My Ruby 1935 Mk1 had the remains of the wood grained effect on the dash when I first purchased it. This was a type of thin film stuck to the dash and it was so badly peeling off I removed it altogether and painted it the same colour as the rest of the car. I don’t know for sure but I think all Ruby’s have the black wings with black rubber running boards whatever the main colour is.

John Mason,

[andrew34ruby]

I understand that Ruby dashboards are a wood effect colour, apart from the dial panel.
I cannot see any evidence of this on my car. Having rubbed back a small patch of the dash all I get is black top coat, muddy red undercoat then base metal.
This is the same on several other parts of the car.
Some very old tatty paperwork suggests it was once all blue, but, again no evidence of this.
Perhaps the car was completely stripped to bare metal in the past, which I guess is possible?
It is currently maroon with black above.

So……
Is it possible that it never had a Wood effect dash?
And is a 2 tone Ruby correct? The books I have read say they were only one colour.

It is a very early ruby built in August/September 1934, car no 671.

My 1934 Ruby is car number ARQ 6957

The dash was brushed in white gloss! but underneath was a dull dark brown with evidence of graining. Nothing peelable.

On the rest of the car I was surprised to find no evidence of primer or undercoat in a different colour. When I got through the 1950s green cellulose everything was black. Did they use black primer?

[Tony Griffiths]

One of the better explanations of woodgraining is here: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture...woodgrain/
The Ruby must have had a relatively inexpensive finish, with poor durability, as so few have survived intact. Today, you can buy - or have installed - various plastic coatings that, while not exactly perfect, are pretty good. Various "painting" techniques are also possible - there is lots of data available online.
As Peter points out below, early Rubys had a detachable dash panel held on with screws at each end. The screws on the right-hand side - one level with the starter knob the other above and just on the edge of the photograph - can be seen in the picture below of an early Mk.1 dash.

[Peter Naulls]

Some Mk1s had a cover panel which was wood grain printed. It attached to the fixed dashboard with 2 screws at each end. Most did not, they had a dashboard which was part of the bodyshell sprayed black (or body colour perhaps?). The door cappings would match the dash or cover panel as appropriate.

Externally my understanding is that the wings, window surrounds and upper door pillar (between the windows) were black, everything else body colour. I'm open to correction if anyone knows differently and, by the number yours is a very early car so anything is possible.

The primer on later Rubies was mid-brown, not sure about earlier cars.

[darcher121]

Lots of interesting answers here, many thanks!
I have found the 2 fixing holes on either end of my dash, so I must assume that there was an “over panel” when new, but it’s now lost.
I don’t suppose there are any to be had, along with door cappings that are also missing, so I may just go black and keep my eyes out for one in the coming months, or years….

I appreciate the replies!