Matchbox Superfast MB67-b VW 1600TL

The #67 VW 1600TL was one of the original 5 regular wheels castings selected to join the SuperFast 1-75 series in 1969. Some 1969 publicity photographs show the VW 1600 TL painted in the same metallic blue well known from the #14 Iso Grifo and fitted with the silver foiled solid disc wheels that were the initial attempt to create attractive speedwheels. At least one of these cars survives today in a private collection.
The SuperFast VW 1600TL was released in the same shade of red it had worn when fitted with regular ´realistic´ wheels, and shown as such on the fine ´F´ box artwork. It was soon recoloured to purple clearcoat over silver primer to match the 1970 ´G´ box artwork. This metallic purple shade appeared on a batch fitted with ´realistic´ regular wheels that were packaged in Canadian blisterpacks with Matchbox Motorway artwork and a 1969 copyright date.Other later SuperFast issues were packed in all blisterpack designs with copyright dates between 1969 and 1972.

Whilst the most common metallic purple used is this first shade, a large quantity were also made in dark metallic purple. Much less common is light metallic purple, which is halfway between common metallic purple and the hot pink clearcoat over silver primer that became standard by 1972.
Mention must also be made of a short run painted with the same light puple clearcoat over white primer which gave a non-metallic light purple result.
As the hot pink issues were re-run the colour was significantly toned down without the yellow undertones in the clearcoat. The hot pink was extremely susceptable to strong light and examples that have faded to silver are not uncommon and easily made today so premiums should not be paid for these unless the finish lacks the glossy laquer of the clearcoat in which case the cars in question are just in the factory silver primer and are errors as such!.

All SuperFast VW 1600 TLs have bump stops cast inside the front wheel arches to limit the travel on the plastic suspension. The only other casting modification was made late 1971 or early 1972 when the wheel arches were widened to allow 10x4mm wide 5 slots to replace the 11x2mm thin 5 slots which were fitted to all examples cast with the original wheel arch profiles.
Rare cross overs exist with thin wheels under enlarged wheel arches.
All wide wheels issues painted in the UK were hot pink, although a colour trial does exist painted in the solid orange enamel which was used on the #56 BMC1800.
Lesney supplied unpainted castings plus all other components needed for painting and final assembley by Roly Toys of Brazil. Both the 1971 thin wheeled original wheelarches bodies and 1972 wide wheels flared arches bodies were shipped to be painted in a variety of colours chosen by Roly Toys.