Matchbox Superfast MB42-c Iron Fairy Crane

The #42 Iron Fairy crane was one of the very last regular wheel models to be converted to Superfast wheels during the spring of 1971.
Its plastic baseplate was modified to accept a pair of standard long black axle clips to retain the standard 12.5x4mm thick 4 slot truck wheels.
As these clips enable wheels on axles to easily be exchanged reasonable proof such a sealed blisterpack is still required before the handful of thin wheeled examples which exist today can truly be judged genuine Lesney production.
The body castings are the same pair as the previous regular wheels issues, indeed the first SuperFast run included a large number of bodies painted in the standard regular wheels red with yellow crane boom.
Lesney brightened up the colour specs for the SF issue, with the crane being recoloured metallic lime as applied to the #58 DAF Girder truck bodies. Initially the #42 body was bright orange because a yellow primer was used but the bulk were painted the same orange colour without any primer so are much duller although still lighter than the standard regular wheels issue bodies.

Crossover models with red bodies and metallic lime crane booms and also dull orange bodies paired up with yellow booms have been reported but not seen so we have been unable to include these in the price guide as yet.
Hooks can be found in lemon or yellow orange , exactly the same pair of shades found on the #30 Crane truck. Hooks of any other colour are likely to be collector re-assignments as these hooks can easily be swapped over.
The Iron Fairy was always packaged in G boxes or blisterpacks with copyright dates between 1970-72.