Tyrone Malone's Super Boss racing truck is a beautifully detailed product. Released in the US in 6 volt form it was the basis for the Tyrone Malone racing set.
Over in the UK we were more familiar with Toblerone. The Racing truck did not appear until the 1982 Powertrack Plus range. It is unlikely however, that any 12V versions of this truck were released by Matchbox - Counterlane version, anyone?
The Boss is a bit of nightmare on some layouts. Layouts have to be carefully constructed so flyovers are high enough not to interfere. The banked curve and loop are interesting too. The lap counter (PT-221) cannot be used with the racing trucks. I get over this by having the trucks race counter-clockwise, the paddle on the lap counter just folds away on impact.
In addition to the OTT Superboss, Matchbox also made a rival truck, the Bandag Bandit (above). A black and menacing vehicle (Duel, anyone?). This is a great product but unfortunately does not photograph too well.
For collectors, these two versions (above) appear in the 1979 US catalogue and are particularly over detailed. The main feature (of the Superboss) are the aerofoils on the front wings and hood. Curiously, the Bandit does not have these adornments, but the striping decals have been refined for production.
