Matchbox Superfast MB44-c GMC Refrigerator truck

The #44-c GMC Refrigerator truck joined the SuperFast 1-75 series during 1970 and remained in the range for 2 years. It was always packaged in ´G´ boxes or any blisterpack with copyright dates between 1969 and 1972.
The first short run was made in the unaltered regular wheels colours and these are very hard to find today. As the the chassis cab tooling had been modified to accept Lesney´s standard SuperFast truck axle clips there is no confusion that these were genuine SuperFast production and not leftover regular wheels era components.

This toy was soon recoloured to have a #33 Muira yellow coloured cab with a red enamel box. Collectors have speculated as to whether there were any all red chassiscab + box or yellow cab with green box crossovers made.So far there is no evidence that these 2 crossovers ever were made in volume and shipped to stores, although at least 1 factory rivited yellow cab with green box example is known to exist but is suspected as a lunchbox special made to order for a collector.
These crossovers can be faked at home with difficulty - red SuperFast chassis cabs are so rare as to be valuable in any condition although the yellow cab green box combination is easy to assemble although tampered rivits are not so easily disguised.

All genuine SF #44 GMCs known to date feature the usual 4 slot 12.5mm truck tyres which can be commonly 2mm wide or rarely 4mm wide. As these wheels can be swapped by simply popping the common black or rarer red axle clips, it is possible to fit any other type of Superfast wheels with the right axle lengths to these toys. Oddly enough the 5 slot 12.5x2mm wheels best known from the #1 Mercedes and #70 Ford D series Grit Spreader have not yet been found on any #44 sealed in a blister pack although as the timelines are the same this is a potentially genuine variation perhaps still awaiting discovery with either or both colour schemes.
There is only one obvious casting variation, the thickness of the plate beneath the Refridgerator varies, although these exist in equal numbers of both thicknesses so this strengthening modification appears to vary between the left and right side of the tool that produced twin #44c boxes every time it was filled with metal.

No further use appears to have been made of this tooling beyond 1972 and so far no Brazilian Roly toys issues have been discovered.