Licensed vehicle alternate modes
History
Generation 1
Robots in Disguise
Alternators/Binaltech
Hasbro and Takara finally jumped in with both feet in 2003, launching a toyline that was entirely composed of licensed vehicle modes. Much of this line was leveraged by the companies' growing relationship with the Chrysler corporation, with many of the figures being drawn from Chrysler vehicles.
The line hit some snags when it approached Porsche and Volkswagen with plans to make figures for Jazz and Bumblebee. Protypes were made, but Porsche refused to grant Hasbro and Takara the license, stating that "Transformers are not worthy carrying the Porsche trademark. They are war machines and the toyline in no way represents the lifestyle and ideas which Porsche represents."[1] As a consequence, the toy ultimately never went into production. Photos of the prototype were depicted in the Japanese book "The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide", and Hasbro later also displayed the prototype during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour. Volkswagen had similar concerns as Porsche, what with not wanting to be associated with "war toys", therefore the design never made it past the control drawing stage. Control drawings for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have been published in the aforementioned Japanese BT guide book.
Eventually much of the Alternators, Binaltech, and derived toylines had to be taken out of production due to the expiration of the licenses which initially allowed their release.
2007 Movie
Toys with licensed vehicle alternate modes
Robots in Disguise
- Side Burn (Dodge Viper)
Alternators
- Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003)
- Sideswipe (Dodge Viper SRT-10)
- Autobot Hound (Jeep Wrangler Sport)
- Silverstreak (Subaru Impreza WRX)
- Dead End (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
- Autobot Tracks (Chevrolet Corvette Z06)
- Meister (Mazda RX-8)
- Swindle (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
- Grimlock (Ford Mustang GT)
- Battle Ravage (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible)
- Windcharger (Honda S2000)
- Shockblast (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
- Wheeljack (2005 Ford Mustang Street Tuning)
- Decepticharge (Mugen Honda S2000)
- Swerve (Chevrolet Corvette Z06)
- Prowl (Acura RSX)
- Autobot Skids (Scion xB)
- Sunstreaker (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
- Rollbar (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
- Ricochet (Subaru Impreza WRX)
- Optimus Prime (Dodge Ram SRT-10)
- Mirage (Ford GT)
- Autobot Camshaft (Acura RSX)
- Nemesis Prime (Dodge Ram SRT-10)
- Rumble (Honda Civic Si)
- Ravage (Jaguar XK)
- Rodimus (Ford GT)
2007 Movie
- Bumblebee (Classic Camaro)
- Bumblebee (Concept Camaro)
- Barricade (Saleen S281)
- Blackout (MH-53 Pave Low)
- Bonecrusher (Buffalo mine-protected vehicle)
- Cliffjumper (Concept Camaro)
- Evac (MH-53 Pave Low)
- Incinerator (V-22 Osprey)
- Ironhide (GMC Topkick 4500)
- Autobot Jazz (Pontiac Solstice)
- Optimus Prime (Peterbilt 379)
- Ratchet (AM General Hummer H2)
- Starscream (Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor)
- Thundercracker (Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor)
See Also
Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes
