Diaclone

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File:Diaclone-GRB logo.jpg
Di...a...cloooooooone!!!

Diaclone was one of two Takara toy lines (the other being Microchange) from which the earliest Generation 1 Transformers toys came.

The Diaclone toyline was first introduced in 1980, but it was not until March 1982 that toys with alt modes based on realistic, present-day vehicles began to appear as part of the "Car Robots" sub-line.

Before the Transformers brand was introduced, Takara directly exported some Diaclone toys to North America under the brand names Diakron and Kronoform, but those lines met with very little success.

In 1983, Hasbro representatives discovered Diaclone and Microchange toys at the Tokyo Toy Show, and soon struck a deal to create the Transformers brand.

The 1984 and 1985 Autobot Cars, 1984 Decepticon Planes, 1985 Dinobots, 1985 Constructicons, Trainbots, Omnibots, Powerdashers, Jumpstarters, Blitzwing, 1984 Optimus Prime and 1986 Ultra Magnus toys all originated from Diaclone.

When Transformers proved an unqualified success, plans for a 1985 Diaclone line were scrapped, and Transformers was imported to Japan in its place. These aborted toys, which would have been part of a sub-line called Jizai Gattai ("Free Combination") were then incorporated into the Transformers toyline in 1986 as the Aerialbots, Stunticons, Combaticons, Protectobots and Metroplex.


Let's see what you can see...

This article is in need of images.

Specifics: Catalog scans

Toy range (incomplete)

Baku-Ten Attack Robo

These were released in the Transformers line as the Jumpstarters, and both had light blue and white decos in their initial TF releases, which were changed again for the South American "Salt-Man" versions.

Car Robots

Maybe they died when the Ark crashed?
  • No. 1 Countach LP500S — The Diaclone red deco was changed to yellow for release as Sunstreaker.
  • No. 2 Onebox Cherry Vanette — The Diaclone black deco was changed to red for release as Ironhide.
  • No. 3 Countach Patrol Car Type — Not released as a Transformer.
  • No. 4 Onebox Ambulance Type — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Ratchet.
  • No. 5 4WD Hi-luxe — The Diaclone black deco was virtually unchanged for release as Trailbreaker. The Diaclone version was also available in blue and yellow decos.
  • No. 6 Honda City R — The Diaclone silver deco was virtually unchanged for release as Crosscut. The Diaclone version was also available in red. This mold was later redecoed as Screech.
  • No. 7 Fairlady Z — The Diaclone blue deco was changed to silver for release as Bluestreak. The Diaclone version was also available in silver with a black hood.
  • No. 8 4WD Wrecker Type — The Diaclone red deco was changed to green for release as Hoist. The Diaclone version was also available in blue.
  • No. 9 Honda City Turbo — The Diaclone blue deco was virtually unchanged for release as Skids. The Diaclone version was also available in black and red decos.
  • No.10 Fire Engine — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Inferno. This mold was later redecoed as Artfire.
  • No.11 Fairlady Z Racing Type — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Smokescreen.
  • No.12 J59 Jeep — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Hound. This mold was later redecoed as Detritus.
  • No.13 Police Car Fairlady Z — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Prowl.
  • No.14 Porsche 935 Turbo — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Jazz. This mold was later redecoed as Ricochet.
  • No.15 New Countach LP500S — The Diaclone red deco was virtually unchanged for release as Sideswipe. The Diaclone version was also available in black and yellow decos, which were later used for Deep Cover and Tigertrack .
  • No.16 F-1 Ligier JS11 — The Diaclone blue deco was virtually unchanged for release as Mirage. A red version was also available as a Diaclone.
  • No.17 Battle Convoy — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged, except for some decals on the trailer, for release as Optimus Prime.
  • No.18 Lancia Stratos Turbo — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Wheeljack. A remolded version served as the inspiration for Marlboor Wheeljack.
  • No.19 New Countach Police Car — The Diaclone police deco was changed to a fire chief deco for release as Red Alert. The original deco was later used for Clamp Down.
What, no TF love for Powered Buggy?
  • No.20 Crane — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as Grapple. This mold was later redecoed as Hauler.
  • No.21 Corvette Stingray — The Diaclone red deco was changed to blue for release as Tracks. The Diaclone red deco was released as Tracks in Europe and later as Road Rage.

  • Powered Convoy — The Diaclone deco was reversed for release as Ultra Magnus. The Diaclone version was also available in a chrome deco. The Powered Buggy accessory was excised from all Transformers releases.

Construction Vehicle Robo

These were, obviously, released in the Transformers line as Devastator and his separate parts, the Constructicons. All of them had their yellow/orange deco changed to green.

Dashers

The Dashers were released in Transformers as the Powerdashers. They were only available via mail-order and Robot Points, and never even got individual names!

  • Sky Dasher
  • Drill Dasher
  • F-1 Dasher

Dinosaur Robo

Ohh, so that's where his color scheme came from.

The Dinosaur Robo molds became the Dinobots in Transformers. Duh. All of the TF releases had softer plastic in certain places. There were also several differences in decos between the Diaclone and Transformers versions, mostly the replacement of blue paint with red.

Double Changers

The Double Changers were released as the Omnibots, and like the Powerdashers, were only available via mail-order and Robot Points.

F-15 Robo

The F-15 Robo mold was the source for the Seekers. The black and purple deco used for Skywarp was created for the Transformers line, and was never available as a Diaclone. The decos and remolded wings for the Coneheads were also original to Transformers.

Insecter Robo

In Diaclone, these were mechs used by the Waruder, the "bad guys" of that universe. In Transformers they were released as the Insecticons with purple, black and yellow deco. Much later, they were released in their original decos as e-Hobby exclusives.

Train Robo

The Train Robo molds were only released as Transformers in Japan during the Headmasters franchise as Raiden and his individual components, the Trainbots.

  • No. 1 Tôkaidô Bullet Train (Shōki)
  • No. 2 EF65 Blue Train (Getsuei)
  • No. 3 Tôhoku Jôetsu Bullet Train (Yukikaze)
  • No. 4 Tôkai-type Express Train (Suiken)
  • No. 5 L-Special-Express-485 (Seizan)
  • No. 6 DE10 Diesel Locomotive (Kaen)

Triplechangers

File:DBlitzFace.jpg
No feet, no face, no service.

Only the Jet Fighter Type Triple Changer was ever released in the Transformers line, but the Helicopter Type made a cameo in a Dreamwave comic. Astrotrain may have been in development when the change to the Transformers brand occurred.


Fiction

Animated cartoon

Wyatt Toys advertised Diaclone and Microman toys for sale in the Detroit Powell Press.The AllSpark Almanac


Trivia

  • Designs from Diaclone were ripped off for the Korean animated movie Diatron 5 (다이아트론5), which is currently haunting Walmart dollar bins as Space Transformers.
  • Two seperate Diaclone-based and -named toylines were also available in France and Finland, respectively - the former a blend of Microchange and Diaclone toys with unique packaging designs and origin stories, the latter more akin to GiG's Trasformer line in design (and notable for the elusive black version of the Corvette Stingray).

See also




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