SF29 tractor shovel - extreme fade?

[DrJeep]

Outside my field of knowledge, but I was intrigued by this SF29 Muir Hill tractor shovel hiding at the back of an eBay group. Now I have it, I can't decide if it's an extreme fade or something more interesting, so all views are welcome.

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I did wonder whether it might be a later Matchbox International, but it has the correct Superfast base.

It's definitely not white, like the prepro shown on Christian's site. It's more of an ivory colour, but the paint isn't completely even.

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The base looks like it's white, but it could be a very faded version of pale tan. However, the shovel looks to be the correct red colour, which seems strange if both the base and the body had faded to the extent that would be needed to get from bright yellow to this colour, but of course it's a different sort of plastic. The interior is silver plated on dark grey plastic.

So, what do you think? I'm tending towards fade, but I'm not sure.

[Idris]

Sunfade is an odd phenomenon. Sometimes it's patchy or limited to one area, and other times it's uniform, including the underneath. However, in my experience, no matter how even the colour appears to be, if you look hard enough, especially in areas where the paint is thickest, it's always possible to discern enough of a hint of the original colour to conclude that it really is a sunfade.
I would suggest trying to get a look inside the bodyshell, perhaps by peering up the side of the baseplate with the aid of a powerful torch. If it is a sunfade, there will be a tell-tale hint of colour somewhere.

[motorman]

I have see pre-pro colour trial Tractor Shovels in white. This is a cream colour and what I would consider a faded example of the original yellow paintwork. I have circled an area near where the shovel joins the body which appears to have remnants of the original colour. I would add however that this is a very unusual model as I have never seen the original yellow fade to a cream colour on this particular variation before and I am not 100% convinced that yellow paint colour would fade to cream like this. Perhaps another dramatic sunfade that may back up this colour change being possible would be the orange #8 wildcat which I have seen fade to an definite creamy colour which can be very uniform across the model. The advantage of the wildcat being that if you lift up the edge of one of its attached labels the original colour is often clearly visible.

As previously suggested closer examination of the interior of the model where over spray would have occurred may show the yellow in greater clarity.

[DrJeep]

Thanks both - you're right. Extreme fade, though amazingly even, and including the plastic of the base too. There's just one place where the yellow is stronger, behind the right front wheel. Even there it's faded to some extent.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

If the model had been left on a surface that can reflect, back up, the suns dangerous rays of light then this could cause harm to the underside of the model.

Ghosthunter.