I bought my first RS2000 in 1980 and the car was only a couple of years old. The finish was definitely the matt end of satin black. I also remember trying to match this at Ford, and even in 1981 they didn't have a colour reference! (For heaven's sakes - the car was almost still in production and they couldn't match the paint!!)
My guess is that the matting agent mixed to the black to make it satin was done on a manual or daily basis and there seemed never to be a formal specification.
Original fotos which I have from 1980 would even indicate that the panel is matt black although I remember it having just a slight sheen to it.
For my resto I've bought Gloss Black 2-pack and a matting agent and intend to just experiment a bit. I'll be aiming for a very dull satin finish, though.
As time goes on, washing and polishing makes the panel more glossy, so even 'original' cars now sport quite shiny rear panels.
Similar question applies to door window frames etc.!
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