Matchbox Superfast MB14-d Iso Grifo

The Iso Grifo was part of the first wave of SuperFast released in 1969, indeed its release was so early that many were packed in regular wheels ´F´ boxes for insertion into SuperFast tracksets made to be sold in good time for Christmas 1969. This first Iso F box was soon modified for a very short production run with the addition of `SuperFast´ in red ink ahead of a purpose designed SuperFast F box with the legend in black ink.
The Iso was later packaged in `G´ and `H` boxes in very large numbers as well as all blisterpacks with copyright dates between 1969 and 1974 for its relatively long 5 years stay in the SF 1-75 series.

Initially for the first couple of years the bodyshell continued to be painted with dark blue clearcoat over silver primer as per the previous regular wheels issue. One 1970 run featured a darker than normal shade of blue clearcoat combined with strong blue interior in place of the standard light blue interiors.
Later in 1971 the Iso was recoloured light blue over white or pale blue primer which accounts for two distinct bright shades available. The interior was recolored white at the same time although significant numbers of rare crossovers in light blue with light blue seats exist with both thin & thick wheels. One or two dark blue cars fitted with white seats & thin wheels have been auctioned but the suspicion is that these are lunchbox specials or colour trials rather than a genuine factory store distributed variation lingers.

More numerous and undoubtably genuine are a handful of bright red thin wheeled Isos also fitted with white seats that are confirmed factory colour trials likely made at the same time.........
There were no body casting modifications required to enable 10x4mm wide 5 slot tyres to be fitted by early 1973 without limiting the springing in the suspension. Prior to this all earlier issues had standard thin 11.2x2mm 5 slot wheels which while often solid also exist commonly in hollow form and mixtures of both on both dark and light blue bodies examples.

A significant quantity of Isos were painted various colours including metallic red and assembled in Brazil from UK made components 1971 onwards. Although the Iso was deleted from the 1-75 series in 1975, it was revived in 1977 for the Japanese only black box J range, recoloured to light powder blue, still fitted with white seats and the same 5 slot 10mm wide wheels although the last of this production featured the new standard 10x4mm dot-dash patterned wheels. Excess production of Japanese issues was used up in UK Two packs and supermarket multipacks after 1979.

Lesney chose this tool in 1981 for its new Super GT range, the doors were cast shut, a new solid black glazing unit was designed and a new baseplate made in black plastic without suspension, all finished off with wide dot wheels, bright colours and tampo race stripes and numbers. Production of this Super GT was moved to China when the English production ended.