Matchbox Superfast MB52-c Dodge Charger Mk III

The 1968 concept show car Dodge Charger III was a new casting which joined the 1-75 series in 1970 as the new #52. Colour trials which feature in some Lesney promotional photographs including the G3 giftset were painted in the same shade of gold as the #56 BMC with orange tinted glazing,thin 11x2mm all black Superfast wheels and white baseplates however the eventual production issue was in the same dark metallic red as the real 1:1 one-off car.

The relatively hard-to-find-today first run featured 11x2mm hot foiled thin superfast wheels with dark metallic red clearcoat over silver primer body over a metallic green clearcoat over gold primer chassis (same shades as body of #45c) with clear windows and black interior, the very first 1-75 series with a black interior!, Subsequent large volumes were made with wide hot foiled 11.5x4mm 5 slot wheels of the same type created for the #45 Ford Group 6 and #68 Porsche with the body colour changing to a distinctly pinkish shade of clearcoat not quite so dark red but otherwise the same as the first run.
There are two more scarce major body colour variations, with short runs being made in the same dark metallic purple clearcoat over silver primer common on Superfast 22c Pontiac GPs and the metallic magenta clearcoat over silver primer that was similar to the colour of the Superfast #19 Lotus F1.
For 1973 and until its deletion in 1975, the Charger III was re-coloured to the same lime clearcoat over silver primer that was also used at the same time as the second standard colour for the #45c. The baseplate was painted in bright red enamel although one short run was made with plated metal baseplates. Wheels, glazing and interior unchanged from 1970 after recolours.

There was only two casting changes, the first of which involved the filling in of the tow slot so lime bodied cars exist in large numbers both with and without a tow slot. Some metallic dark red with metallic green baseplate also exist with filled tow slots however it is very difficult to prove conclusively that they were 1972 production because this model went back into production in these same colours during 1977-79 for the Japanese packaged special series although many of these feature wheels with 5 smaller square slots which were the very last production from this tooling by 1979.

The second casting modification was the early models the opening door had extra thick lip added to the lower edge of the windscreen frame to retain the glazing. Later on this lip was removed so most colours of the Charger can be found with or without the lip.

The #52 Dodge Charger III was packaged in all types of blisterpack with copyright dates between 1969 and 1975 as well as ´G´ and ´I´ boxes, all Japanese packaging from 1977-1980 and G3 giftset boxes. Cars from G3 sets can be found with varying quantities of stickers supplied with the sets and come in both metallic pinkish red and metallic lime body colours.
Odd stickers including Scorpion logos have also been found on loose cars which may or may not be genuine factory applications as none have been found factory sealed in blisterpacks.

Full sets of components for this casting were shipped to Roly Toys of Brazil for painting in a multitude of colours of their choice during the early and mid 1970s.