My RRA also has a 4-digit serial number with the letters "FS". I know that they were avaiable as framesets only, and when I spoke to the V-CC Marque Enthusiast about this some years ago, he confirmed that he had records of some RRA's in this serial range, as well as the normal Raleigh range. He said that he thought it MIGHT refer to framesets sold as such, rather than complete machines, although why Raleigh would bother to do this is a puzzle. Also, my bike had the correct RRA chainset when I bought it, which suggests that it may have been sold as more than a frameset originally.
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
>From: "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@starpower.net>
>To: <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: [CR]Dating a Raleigh RRA
>Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:51:06 -0400
>
>Why not? English girls are great. I married one.
>
>But as to the date of your RRA, she's c. 1948-54. That serial number is
>a headscratcher. And no, RRAs of this era had the same serial number
>sequencing as anyother Raleigh. At least those that I own or have seen
>have. But never say never with Raleigh.
>
>This is obviously a repaint and possibly even a factory one given the
>style of transfers (not the lovely ornate original style) and that candy
>apple red. Through the 1950s Raleigh price lists included RRA
>refinishing and whilst you had your choice of colours, all of the ones
>I've seen seem invariably to be black or this colour. Which is NOT the
>famous Reg Harris carmine either.
>
>Anyway, good luck with getting her kitted out. A lovely, lovely machine
>that with an AC or FC Sturmey-Archer hub can still hold her own.
>
>Peter Kohler
>Washington DC USA