Whilst researching the shadowtrak prototype that Newswseller kindly sold me awhile back, featured in the link below ->
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15143
I noticed a new variant (not mentioned on BFTB as far as I could search for), as there are 2 different production Shadowtrak tow hooks.
Summary
Window box English/Spanish version (Sombre Rojo) is square ended and was probably more common and is used on the prototype & photos for the later picture boxes.
Window box English/French version = angled tow hook
Picture box contents (all languages) have the angled tow hook, including the German Powertruck.
The English/French window box version that has an angled end and the more common English/Spanish window box version (Sombre Rojo) that is square ended like the prototype & photos for the picture boxes.
Early days of investigation and would love to verify more windows & picture boxes. French picture box says Vuitre and figure/parts bagged separately and Spanish picture says Buitre with everything bagged together, as looks like later picture box releases both used the newer angled version.
Spanish
French
Long shot but I found what looks like a 7x marked on the bottom of the square end tow hook which reminded me of the mark inside the Shadowtrak prototype. A veteran reckons they are mould numbers scratched in, as seen similar in VAM but only moulded numbers like the Roboskull boosters have.
- mark.jpg (9.8 KiB) Viewed 965 times
As for the German Die Terror Bande Power Truck, the box photos show it having a square ended tow hook but loose versions appear to have angled tow hooks, just like the other picture box contents that have angled tow hooks but their box photos show square ended ones.
I also tried to tie in the tow hooks with either red or black wheels but found both tow hook variants appearing with both wheel colours. However, the prototype shadowtrak has red wheels and the later picture box photos has black wheels.
