The name or term "Classics" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Classics (disambiguation).
Classics is a Transformers toyline from the later days of Generation 1.
Europe is a strange place.
In 1990 and 1991, the toy market in Australia, New Zealand and Europe saw many re-releases of earlier Transformers toys. The new packaging was gold-coloured and bore the subtitle 'Classics' for the UK, Scandinavian, Dutch and French markets (Spain and Italy omitted the title "Classic" from the packaging). The toys released in 1990 even still bore rubsigns, even though the 'standard' lines had ceased this practice by 1988. Most of the 1991 toys featured rubsign indents, but no longer sported rubsigns. They were also retooled to block out details stating the original year of manufacture and the original country of manufacture.
It has been suggested that the toys produced for this line originate from the same production run and facilities as the Chinese Generation 1 line.
Oddly enough, "Classic" Prowl was available with stickers sporting the name "Diaclone", unlike all previous or subsequent versions of the toy available as part of a Transformers line. His crest is also painted and not stickered like the G1 release.
Optimus Prime actually isn't called a "Classic" anywhere on the packaging. Instead, he's called "Original Autobot Leader". However, since he's a reissue of an original toy from 1984 that's available in the same kind of packaging as the various "Classic" reissues from the same year, he's generally considered to be part of the "Classic" line, rather than being the single release from a one-of-a-kind sub-line named "Original".
Streetwise was retooled to make the light bar an extension of the roof painted red, instead of being separately cast in red plastic as with the original.
Unlike the initial 1986 release with metal toes painted orange, and the running change version with solid orange plastic toes, the Classic reissue sported black plastic toes painted orange.
For reasons unknown, the Spanish Classics release of Onslaught was renamed "Oslat" - the only Spanish Classics reissue to sport a different name than its UK or French/Dutch counterparts.
For reasons unknown, the Spanish Classics releases of all of the combiners lack the Classics wording on them.
Australian exclusives
Additionally, Australia saw the limited release of several toys in their original G1 packaging, but they were also retooled to block out the original year of manufacture and the original country of manufacture. These releases included:
While not officially branded or recognised as 'Classics' fiction, the Earthforce stories in the Marvel UK comic were inspired by, and responding to, the reissues.
