Matchbox Superfast MB49-b Mercedes Unimog

The #49 Mercedes Unimog joined the SuperFast range well into 1970 initially retaining its regular wheels colours of light blue with a deep red baseplate and green glazing.It was packaged in a ´G´ box or any blisterpack with a copyright date between 1969 and 1972.

The earliest production was fitted with the same large spiro pattern balloon tyres that were created for the 28d Mack Dumper and these wheels were also used for the SuperFast re-colour which was light metallic blue body with a dark red chassis and green glazing.
The baseplate tool had been modified to accept a pair of standard axle clips to retain both wheel sets, usually black plastic but many of the balloon tyre issues featured the much less common dark red plastic axle clips.

Silver grille trim was sprayed onto a large proportion of the balloon wheels issues in both light and metallic light blue however no silver trim was applied to the vast majority of Superfast Unimog production which featured standard large spiro wheels with the squared profile as created for the 1971 SuperKings cars.
The use of light metallic blue for the Unimog body didnt last long with the regular wheels shade of blue being re-instated in 1971 matched with the dark red chassis and green glazing.However this blue can vary slightly in shade, sometimes appearing to be just a tone closer to green.

After almost 6 years in storage this tooling was revived for inclusion in Two Pack TP-13 for 1978 & 1979 in common satin olive army green with green glazing and large dot-dash plain black 10 slot wheels.
A plastic base strip was designed to be rivited in place using the original body rivits to retain the axle sets in place of the previous removable axle clips.
The chassis tool was further modified to create a storage locker where previously the spare tyre had been retained.These were finished off with either a white US army or a blue & red British army ´A´ sticker on the bonnet and a tan coloured plastic ammunition case for its loadbed.

Colour trials exist showing this 1978 version of the casting in bright colours with hotfoiled hubs however no civilian versions were ever issued and this tooling was not used for any production assembled outside the UK.