Gearhead

Gearhead is an Autobot Go-Bot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Gearhead is a stock car on the outside, and an Autobot warrior engineered for fighting on the inside. It's hard to say which half of his nature he enjoys more. Upon his arrival on the planet Earth he entered the professional racing circuit. Obviously confident in the power source beneath his titanium-plated hood, he proudly informs his opponents that if they race him, they'll lose. Gearhead is always anxious for the checkered flag, yet his desire for combat with the Decepticons has not diminished. In fact, a call to arms will send him speeding to the battlefield at speeds even higher than those he reaches on the racetrack.

He might have a brother named Greasepit.

Fiction

Wings Universe

Gearhead and the Go-Bots were part of the "second generation" of Transformers created on Earth in the 21st century, using a combination of human, Nebulan, and Cybertronian sciences. He became an Autobot working for Pyro when the new Transformers inevitably started to battle amongst themselves. In 2010, Gearhead and the Go-Bots arrived in Switzerland to assist Rapido's team against the Decepticons after Pyro was captured. They fought alongside Scorch against the massive Decepticon, Double Punch. Generation 2: Redux

Unite Warriors

Gearhead, with other Autobots, oversaw an attempt to wipe the Combatrons' Destronger programming. However, before they could be reprogrammed, Unicron interrupted the process and whisked away the Combatrons. Ruination Chapter, Part One

Toys

Generation 2

• Gearhead (Go-Bot, 1995)
  • Accessories: Rifle

Part of the first assortment of Go-Bots, Gearhead transforms into a NASCAR-style Ford Thunderbird stock car with through-axle tires, making him largely compatible with "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" playsets and tracks. He was also released in the second assortment, but the clear-plastics of his robot mode were replaced with opaque plastics using the same general colors (the clear-colorless plastic turned to opaque silver).

This mold was redecoed to make the Go-Bots version of Soundwave, 2001 Robots in Disguise Spychanger W.A.R.S., and Universe Camshaft. It was slated to be used for the Go-Bots Racing Rig pilot Greasepit, but this toy was ultimately never released.

• More information on Gearhead at TFU.info

Generation 2 mold: Gearhead
Hasbro: Generation 2 Gearhead (clear version) Gearhead (opaque version) Soundwave Greasepit (canceled) Robots in Disguise (2001) W.A.R.S. W.A.R.S. (clear red) W.A.R.S. (Tiny Tin) W.A.R.S. (clear purple) Universe (2003) Autobot Camshaft Takara: Car Robots C-007 Wars Wars (JUSCO) Super Wars Super Wars (clear version) Sonokong: Car Bot C-007 Wars

Notes

• Gearhead's card-art mistakenly gives him High Beam's rifle.
• Though most of the Go-Bots were never released in Japan, Gearhead did gain a Japanese name via a BotCon Japan 1997 exclusive poster, which featured bios for all of the new Generation 2 characters released in the U.S. who weren't part of the Japanese line: the Axelerators, the Skyscorchers, Rotor Force, four of the Go-Bots, and the Color Changers.
• The trademark "Gearhead" was later almost used for the Kre-O Autobot ultimately named Roadhound.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Gearhead (ギアヘッド Giaheddo)
• French: Turbo-Stockcar (France/Belgium), Engrenage (Canada)
• Italian: Ariete