Editing Pre-Transformers

{{disambig2|the fandom term for toys derived from lines that existed before ''Transformers''|the cartoon character called "Pre-Transformer" in the script|Guardian Prime}}
[[File:Diaclone Car Robots.jpg|350px|thumb|Pffftt, like these silly novelty gizmos will ever become a decades-long pop culture phenomenon!]]
In [[Fandom|fan terminology]], '''pre-''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]''''' is an umbrella term for the ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' toylines, as well as for the original, non-''Transformers''-branded versions of such toys as [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Jetfire]] and the [[Mini-spy#Toys|Mini-spies]]; all of which originally made up the entirety of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original ''Transformers'' toyline]] for (roughly) the first [[1984|two]] [[1985|years]] of its run. Some of these figures also sported different color schemes than their more well-known ''Transformers'' counterparts. In many instances, future [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]] of these figures or new toys of those characters would be [[redeco]]ed to [[homage]] the pre-''Transformers'' color schemes originally unused in the ''Transformers'' [[Franchises|franchise]].

By [[1986]], almost all of the pre-''Transformers'' toy-molds that made up the original ''Transformers'' toyline had started to trickle out in favor of the all-new molds based on [[Floro Dery]]'s concept artwork designed for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', though, a few [[Diaclone#Posthumous Diaclone|unutilized ''Diaclone'' concepts]], as well as [[retool]]s of previously-released pre-''Transformers'' molds from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] found their way into the mix. By [[1987]], the Hasbro ''Transformers'' line ([[1992]] in the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara line]]) had reached the point where ''only'' original molds were being produced.

==Pre-Transformers lines==
====Released in Hasbro & Takara's ''Transformers'' toylines====
[[File:Sunstreaker-diaclone.jpg|250px|thumb|''Diaclone'' No. 1 Countach LP500S — the first ''Diaclone Car Robot'' and the predecessor mold that eventually led to [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Sunstreaker]].]]
*[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]
**''[[Diaclone]]'' — [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Autobot Cars]], [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], [[Jumpstarters]], [[Omnibots]], [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], [[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Toys|Blitzwing]]
**''[[Micro Change]]'' — [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his [[Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassettes]], [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]

====Released in Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toyline only====
*Takara
** ''[[Kronoform]]'' (first released as its own toyline, later rebranded into a ''Transformers'' subline)
**''[[Mech Soldier]]'' — [[Mini-spy#Toys|Mini-spies]]

*[[Takatoku Toys]]
**''[[Armored Insect Corps Beetras]]'' — [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Deluxe Insecticons]]
**''[[Special Armored Battalion Dorvack]]'' — [[Deluxe Vehicle#Toys|Deluxe Vehicles]]
**''[[Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'' — [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Notes|Jetfire]]
[[File:TakatokuSuperValkyrie.jpg|250px|thumb|''Macross'' 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyrie — the predecessor mold that eventually led to [[Jetfire (G1)/toys|Jetfire]].]]
*[[Toybox]] — "Super Change Robo Mechabot-1" ([[Omega Supreme (G1)#Notes|Omega Supreme]]) and [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Notes|Sky Lynx]] (never actually released prior to the ''Transformers'' version)

*[[ToyCo]] — "4 Changeable Astro Magnum" ([[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Notes|Shockwave]])

====Released in Takara's ''Transformers'' toyline only====
*Takara
**''Diaclone'' — [[Trainbot|Trainbots]]
**''Micro Change'' — [[Browning]]

====Released in South American ''Transformers'' toylines only====
*[[Yonezawa Toys]] — "Remote Change Robo Series" ([[Eletrix]])

*[[Asahi Corporation]] — "Attack Change Machine Powertron" ([[Bat-Robô]])

*[[Best Join]] — "Radio Robot" (Confusingly, a [[knockoff]] that would later become [[Radio AM Robot]])
{{-}}

==Licensed international releases of pre-''Transformers''==
[[File:TANDY_UK_Galactic_Man_variant_Electronic_space_robot_gun.jpg|thumb|185px|RadioShack/Tandy's "Galactic Man"—once thought by many to be a knockoff.]]
Hasbro's ''Transformers'' line was originally just one of several international venues for many of these figures. It was only when ''Transformers'' became such a huge worldwide success that it completely eclipsed these other versions, resulting in weird transitional phases in many instances. Some of these are frequently mistaken for [[knockoff]]s (not helped by the fact that there ''are'' knockoffs ''of these versions'' as well!).

'''United States'''
*Takara
**''[[Diakron]]'' (featuring ''Diaclone'' figures, including the [[Powerdasher]]s that were first named as such here)
** ''[[Kronoform]]'' (again, later rebranded into a ''Transformers'' subline)

*[[RadioShack]] — "Galactic Man" (a version of [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Notes|Shockwave]]'s mold)
*Village Toys — ''Convert-A-Bots'', featuring "N-4-SR" (''another'' version of Shockwave's mold in two different color schemes) and ''Pow-R-Bots'' (featuring ''Turbo Z'', ''Porsche'', and ''Jeep'' as versions of [[Esporte]], [[Porsche (Eletrix)|Porsche]], and [[Jipe (Eletrix)|Jipe]]'s molds)
*Select — ''Convertors'' (featuring "Wheels" and "Chopper", plastic versions of [[Roadbuster (G1)#The Transformers|Roadbuster]] and [[Whirl (G1)#The Transformers|Whirl]]'s molds, respectively)
*Ertl Company - ''Pow-R-Trons'' (featuring ''Zoomer'' and ''Turboid'' as versions of [[Turbo (G1)|Turbo]]'s mold and ''Distroid'' and ''Fy-Ton'' as versions of [[Pick-Up (Bat-Robô)|Pick-Up]]'s mold)

'''United Kingdom'''
*Grandstand — ''Convertors'' (unrelated to Select's US line of the same name; featuring "Omegatron", a version of [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Notes|Omega Supreme]]'s mold in its original Mechabot-1 colors)
*Tandy — "Galactic Man" (almost identical to RadioShack's version, due to both being owned by the same parent company)
'''Italy'''
*[[GiG]] — ''[[Trasformer]]'' (featuring ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' figures, some of them already in their unique ''Transformers'' colors; as well as "Megarobot", a version of Omega Supreme's mold)
[[File:ToyboxMechabot-1.jpg|250px|thumb|Toybox's ''Super Change Robo'' Mechabot-1 — featuring the color scheme that'd also be seen on its GAMA and Grandstand versions.]]
'''Germany'''
*GAMA — "Trans Robot" (a version of Omega Supreme's mold very similar to Grandstand's "Omegatron", with the packaging design being close to Toybox's original ''Mechabot-1'' version, but with the "Trans Robot" logo taking some cues from Hasbro's "''Transformers''" logo, also replacing the tank's long barrel with a radar dish because no war toys for you, German kids!)

'''France'''
*[[Joustra]] — ''Diaclone'' (featuring Takara ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' figures, some of them already sporting Autobot and Decepticon [[insignia]] [[sticker]]s)
*Orli Jouet — "Robotrack" (featuring "Mecabot", a nigh-identical version of Omega Supreme in Hasbro colors, possibly produced as part of a partnership with GiG, with the TV commercial even featuring footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]])

'''Finland'''
*Takara — ''Diaclone'' (featuring ''Diaclone'' figures, including a unique black version of [[Tracks (G1)#Black|Tracks]]'s mold)
{{-}}
==Honorable mentions==
[[File:Mysterians_mobile_force.jpg|250px|thumb|A mystery indeed.]]
* There is a credible case that the unreleased ''[[Mysterians]]'' toyline from American company Knickerbocker Toys was the origin point for the not-[[Choro-Q]]-inspired figures in the first wave of Generation 1 [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]] - those being [[Brawn (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Brawn]], [[Gears (G1)#The Transformers|Gears]], [[Huffer (G1)#The Transformers|Huffer]], and [[Windcharger (G1)#The Transformers|Windcharger]]. These designs were shown in internal Knickerbocker documents in 1982, then Hasbro purchased Knickerbocker in 1983 and the molds were released in ''Micro Change'' in 1983. But the chronology is not entirely clear, because Takara designer [[Masaki Maruyama]] is typically credited as designing these figures (as well as the other Mini-Vehicles). Perhaps Knickerbocker designed the toys and Maruyama's attributed credits are wrong... or early Takara designs were at first licensed to Knickerbocker for a release that never happened... or the two companies were designing them in tandem. Conclusive details about who gets full credit for such obscure unreleased products from a long-defunct company are likely lost to time. 
**Notably, the other non-pre-Transformers ''Mysterians'' designs would eventually get released by a different company called Marchon (also under the ''Mysterians'' name), although it is unknown what (if any) deal they cut with Hasbro and/or the late Knickerbocker.

==Notes==
* The act of licensing out Japanese transforming robot toys (and robot toys in general) to Western markets appears to have started with the toy manufacturer, {{w|Popy}} (ポピー). Popy started off as a part of [[Bandai]], but separated from them in [[1971]] to explore other avenues, creating lines such as the ''Popynica'' line, which made toys for the ''{{w|Kamen Rider}}'' franchise, and the ''{{w|Chogokin}}'' line, which made toys for franchises such as ''[[Mazinger Z]]''. The toys released in these two lines ended up being licensed out to [[Mattel]] as part of their popular ''{{w|Shogun Warriors (toys)|Shogun Warriors}}'' franchise in the 70s. Popy is also credited by many as being the inventors of robot-to-vehicle transforming toys (although not the inventors of transforming robots as a genre, as that honor [[Yonezawa Toys#Overview|would belong to Yonezawa's quirky battery-powered "Space Explorer" toy with its TV set alternate mode instead]]), with their figure of the titular character of ''{{w|Brave Raideen}}'' in [[1975]] which was also licensed out to Mattel. All of this would eventually lead to the creation of the ''{{Gb|Machine Robo}}'' toyline—but due to the declining popularity of robot toys in the very early-80s—Popy was reintegrated into Bandai in [[1983]], which thus led to the partnership between Bandai and [[Tonka]], that created ''[[GoBots]]''.
* As mentioned above, Hasbro's once-rival, Tonka, teamed up with Bandai in 1983, to create the ''GoBots'' franchise using licensed-out ''Machine Robo'' toys. Much like Takara's attempts at releasing their products in Western markets through the ''Diakron'' and ''Kronoform'' lines, Bandai attempted the same thing with ''Machine Robo'', releasing the ''{{Gb|Robo Machine}}'' and ''{{Gb|Robo Machines}}'' lines in Europe; the {{Gb|Machine Men (North American franchise)|''Machine Men'' and ''Robot Machine Men''}} lines in America and Canada, respectively; and the (unrelated) ''{{Gb|Machine Men (franchise)|Machine Men}}'' line in Australia—all of which had varying degrees of success, and ran concurrently with one another.
*The [[Action Master]] [[Treadshot (G1)#The Transformers|Treadshot]]'s design was inspired by a toy originally manufactured by Sunmayor Ohkawa (サンマーヤ大川) Co., Ltd., the "357 Magnum Robo" (357マグナムロボ). It was later called the "Highway Patrol Robo" and released in [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' line in Italy. It was even covered in Takara's ''[[Takara SF Land Collection Complete Works]]'' toy book for unknown reasons.

==External links==
*[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/vdiaclone.html Pre-Transformers!]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170913031534/http://1501bc.com/pretf/ The Pre Transformer Page]


[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Pre-Transformer]]
[[Category:Toys]]