Classic & Vintage - Raleigh Carlton Super Course date?

I have a Raleigh Super Course with 531 tubing, partial chrome rear triangle, chrome fork tips,. It has a
Carlton decal on the frame. The problem is the serail number has no letters only numbers and I can't find a
chart that only list numbers. There on the left rear drop-out, 0040527. I'm sure this type thing gets asked
all the time on here I've spent 3 hours searching for an age on this thing and I'm at my wits end as to the
date. It also has the Nottingham brass emblem on the head tube.
Thanks,
Grateful11

Look on the bottom bracket. It will be sometime between 1971 and 1976, the first number you see will be the last digit of the manufacture year.

Actually that was the first place I looked. The only thing there is one
single "X" underneath. The only numbers it has are those of the drop-out.
That's why I'm confused about the whole thing.

Once in a while they got put in odd places on the seat tube. I have heard of some that onlly have the serial on the dropout (I've heard of Grand Prix's having this, but not yet heard of a bike made from 531 tubing having this done.) If that is truly the case, it would be one of the earliest years of manufacture - possibly pushing it all the way back to '68, but the catalog shows that as having the oval Raleigh badge - as does the '69.

Interesting mystery, the kind that Raleigh helped to perpetuate by their "creativity".

Here's some pictures of the one I have, maybe they will help.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/th_IMG_3101a.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/IMG_3101a.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/th_IMG_3105a.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/IMG_3105a.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/th_IMG_3106a.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/IMG_3106a.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/th_IMG_3110a.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/IMG_3110a.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/th_IMG_3112a.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/IMG_3112a.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/th_IMG_3113a.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/GratefulToo/IMG_3113a.jpg)

It does look a lot like the '68 over at:

Retroraleighs (http://retroraleighs.com/super-course.html)

Thanks

Since the downtube "RALEIGH" decal is not in script letters, the bike is probably a 1974 or newer. I think that is about when they changed the lettering style.

It would appear to be a 1973 model.

I tried to find a good view of an older Raleigh to check that and couldn't find a really
good side shot but I think you're right, 73-74ish. I had a late 70's Gran Prix and I
believe it had the same lettering. Thanks

I had a '72 that was identical with the exception of a script downtube logo. The new logo came out in 1973 on the Super Course. Check the 1973 catalog on the Retro-Raleigh website.

I was just looking at the '76 catalog and it reminded me of the time I walked into a small bike shop and they had a Raleigh Team bike on the rack but it was a about 2 sizes too small and already sold. They were being closed out and he couldn't get anymore of them. It was a thing of beauty.