Mini-Vehicle
From Transformers Wiki
| This article is about the Generation 1 small Autobots. For the Hot Wheels-style cars fromRevenge of the Fallen,seeRobot Powered Machines. |
TheMini-Vehicles(also known asMinicars,Minibots,[1]Mini-Autobots,andRobocars) are a group of small, simple, and inexpensive toys, premiering inthe original 1984 toyline.Many wereredecoedorretooledfrom the earlierMicro Changeline. They generally havesuper deformedproportions in vehicle mode, since in theMicro Changebackstory they represented robots that became small toy cars (specifically, they were meant to look likeChoro-Q/Penny Racerscars).
Fictionally, little to nothing has been made of this groupasa group. They will occasionally show up in group scenesin a vague form of advertisement,but they're almost never treated as more than just a group of individual bots who happen to be here at this time right now. Even their "defining" trait, being smaller than "normal" Cybertronians, is rarely flagged up outside ofone particular individual,especially since the introduction of even smaller Cybertronians likeMicromastersandMini-Cons.
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Toys
Hasbro
The Transformers(1984-1986)
1984
Part of the first year ofHasbro'sThe Transformersproduct in the US, the Mini Vehicles were originally known as "Autobot Minicars",versus the larger"Autobot Cars".The initial run of the Minicars were packaged with the toys in their alternate modes, as the rest of the line's toys were. This changed to robot mode packaging with a picture of the vehicle mode added under the character art, which the assortment would retain throughout the line. This change was probably made because the smaller but deeper bubbles used for vehicle-mode packaging were more prone to separating from the cards by accident than the later-revised larger robot-mode bubbles.
Although the official catalogs and the box artwork depict Bumblebee in yellow and Cliffjumper in red, both toys were actually available in both colors. A seventh toy was also available briefly in the early releases of the line. The toy that would eventually become known as "Bumper"did not have its own name or card, but came on Cliffjumper cards. (Rumors persist of his being available on Bumblebee cards as well, but no carded samples have been found.) Exactly how the hell thishappenedis still a mystery, though it is possible that there were early plans to have the toy be a full-fledged part of the line. All seven of this first batch originated as "Mini Car Robo" inTakaraTomy'sMicro Changeline, with engineering byMasaki Maruyama... though apparently four of these toys (the non-penny-racer-style ones) wereoriginallydesigned (but never manufactured) by American company Knickerbocker Toys for their ultimately-canceledMysterianstoyline. How these designs came into Takara's ownership is also still a mystery.
| Autobot Minicars |
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1985
The following year, Hasbro renamed the assortment to "Mini Vehicles",as only one of the new toys introduced in this year could even charitably be called a" car ". The vehicle mode photos on all of this year's cardfronts could have either white or gray borders.
The original 1984 assortment (minus "Bumper" ) was also available this year, this time with newrubsignsreplacing the normal foil faction symbol stickers on their vehicle modes (robot-mode stickers were left alone). Yes, even the red Bumblebee and yellow Cliffjumper saw re-release. In addition, the 1984 crew had the added bonus of a free"Motorized Transformer" (aka "Mini-spy" );while the included Mini-spy could be one of any four molds, it appears that the three available colors each came in were specific to certain Mini Vehicles. (The new 1985 toys did not have Mini-spies at all. Sorry.)
Autobot Mini Vehicles (new)
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Mini Vehicles (w/ Motorized Transformers)
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(w/ yellow Mini-spy) (w/ blue Mini-spy) (w/ blue Mini-spy) |
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1986
The final year of the assortment, five of the new toys this year were extensivelyretooledversions of 1984 Mini Vehicles as new characters, with one all-new toy in the mix. While the 1985 newcomers carried over this year, Bumblebee was the only 1984 toy to continue on into '86, and —near as can be told— only the yellow version.
The initial releases of all Mini Vehicles andSpecial Teamsin 1986 were part of a promotional campaign that featured reflectiveiron-on patchesas part of a contest. Later in the year, packages without bonus patches were released.
After 1986, their place as the line's low-end price point was filled by a series of gimmick-based groups, including theThrottlebots,Triggerbots/Triggercons,andMicromasterpatrols.
| Autobot Mini Vehicles (new) | Autobot Mini Vehicles (re-released) |
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Generation 2(1993)
Released in the first year ofGeneration 2in the US (but not in the European line), the "Mini Autobots" are four molds from the original series, this time done up with large swathes ofVacuum metallized chrome.Two of them retain their normal colors (just with chrome), while the other two got new decos.
| Mini Autobots |
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Fun4All / Basic Fun keychains (2001 / 2007)
In 2001,Fun4Alllicensed four of the old Mini Vehicle molds andretooledthem into keychains, by simply adding a small plastic ring on them for a metal clip-on chain to hang off of. These toys aremostlyotherwise identical to the originals, with a few small details different here and there (like Windcharger's missing face paint, whoopsiedoodle).
The following year,3H Productionsorderedredecosof three of the molds to beexclusivesforBotCon 2002andBotCon Europe 2002.
Takara released the keychains as convenience-store items in 2003, we'll talk more about those in the Takara section below.
In 2007, the original four keychain toys were re-released byBasic Funin new "Heroes of Cybertron"-branded packaging, presumably to cash in on thatbig expensive major Hollywood moviecoming out that year. As far as can be told, the actualtoypart of these keychains are identical to the original 2001 versions, but these releases have new chains attached.
Yes, we realize this means they'retechnicallynot Hasbro toys but come on.
| Fun4All / Basic Fun | BotCon 2002 | BotCon Europe 2002
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Vintage G1(2018-2019)
The Mini Vehicles were part of theWalmartexclusiveVintage G1reissue line, though they were given the name "Legion Class", tying in with modern size-class naming.
These releases aremostlyidentical to reissues released previously in Japan (see below), but have a few small but significant differences. The most immediately-noticeable is theVintage G1toys have production information tampographed on them somewhere, typically on the inside of their leg. The other is the new style ofrubsignused by theVintage G1releases, which have a highly reflective mirror-like border, and the heat-revealed symbol goes right to red, rather than the multi-colored symbols of old.
| Legion Class wave 1 (2018) | Legion Class wave 2 (2019) |  |
Takara
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers/2010(1985-1986)
1985 saw the release ofTakara's version of the line for Japan,Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers,which included most of the Hasbro 1984 and 1985 product released all at once, with no notable differences outside of the packaging.Mostof it.
Only five "Minibots"from the 1984 Hasbro assortment were made available this year at normal retail (all with vehicle-mode rubsigns rather than foil faction stickers), packed in small boxes with collectible character cards inside, while two of the 1985 Mini Vehicles were offered only asRobot Pointmail-away offers. The other 1985 toys would not be released until the following year as part of theFight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010line alongside the new 1986 crew.
The one remaining 1984 Minibot, Gears, would not be releasedat allin Japan until nearly twenty years later. Womp womp. ( "Bumper" was also not part of the Takara line at all.)
| Retail releases (1985) | Mail-aways (1985) | Retail releases (1986) |
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Reissue lines
In the early to mid-2000s, Takara reissued many originalTransformerstoys, under a number of different line names:The Transformers Collection,The Transformers: Collector's Edition,andTransformers Encore.In most cases, these were "improved" releases with altered or additional paint and decals, tooling changes for durability, functionality or aesthetics (including a new cartoon-based head for Bumblebee), even additional accessories not available with the original toy... basically, virtually every one hassomenoticeable difference between the reissue and the original. This is also the first time Gears has been released in Japan. Womp womp. These re-releases would be the basis for the later HasbroVintage G1re-releases.
TheCollector's Editionline added to the "Minibot" toy ranks withe-HOBBYexclusive all-new redecoes of theTransformers Collectionsets, which also included some Decepticon-allied "G1 GoBots"Minibots.
| The Transformers Collection | Collector's Edition | Transformers Encore |
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Minibot Keychains
In 2003, Takara released the fourFun4Allkeychains inblindpackedboxes (styled after theTransformers Collectionpackaging), sold exclusively at7-Elevenconvenience stores. While the toys themselves are identical to the Fun4All versions (missing Windcharger facepaint and all), Takara added "chase"black versions of each keychain to the mix, with one black version in every case of twelve keychains. Good luck!
| Minibot Keychains |
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IGA (Mexico)
Mexican companyIGAreleased its version ofThe Transformersin 1985, largely sticking to Hasbro's names and decos, but there were some notable variants, with some Mini Vehicles getting multiple new decos in its short timespan, the line ending in 1986.
In particular, several of the 1984 molds were redecoed into colors matching their Hasbro 1986 retools (with a few additional funky variants, see individual entries for more on that mess), seemingly as a way to get those characters out without importing any new molds. Redecoed versions of Windcharger and Gears have been found on Tailgate and Swerve cards, so presumably the other redecos were similarly sold that way, it just hasn't been confirmed yet.
Mini Vehicles (1986)
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Mini Vehicles (1985) |
South America
The 1984 Minicar molds were a staple of the many short-livedTransformerslines released by numerous companies in South America. In some cases, they were theonlytoys released in said lines... and there's some question marks over the validity of some companies' licensing rights to the line to boot. (We're looking at you,Antex.) As such, these toys ended up in alotof different decos not seen in the Hasbro or Takara lines. Due to their scarcity, all of these can command high price tags regardless of the condition they're in.
Estrela (Brazil)
Easily the most well-known of the South American toylines is Brazilian companyEstrela's, which featured multiple takes on the Minicars (under the name "Robocars"), as well as theJumpstartersand multiple other transforming-robot electronic toys that hadn't been used in other countries'Transformerslines. Importantly, Estrela made use of the "Bumper"mold as a distinct character, with his own new card-art and new character bio.
None of the toys from the 1985 assortment had faction symbols in any form, but the characterbios(for toys that had them) were either straight translations of the Hasbro Autobot characters' or new ones that didn't make them out to be villainous, and all of the packaging for every release was in Autobot-style red, so fans (and this wiki) have defaulted to treating them as Autobots (and in five of the Robocars' cases, simply new versions of the previously existing Minicar characters).
The 1986 assortment changed this, re-releasing the six prior Robocar molds in two new decoes each, under the same names as before, but this time split into the heroic "Optimus"and"Malignus"factions. Due to these new factions, this wiki considers these toys to be separate characters from the previous Brazilian Robocars, though the lack of bio information on any of the packaging honestly leaveswhothey are as very open to interpretation. The 1986 toys are particularly sought after and expensive today, the Malignus especially so, 'cuz they aregorgeous.
| 1985 Robocars | 1986 (Optimus vs Malignus) |
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Antex (Argentina)
The ArgentineTransformersline, released and ended in 1985, is much smaller than but very similar to Estrela's, which makes sense as apparentlyAntexgot the licensing rights toTransformersfrom Estrela rather than Hasbro directly, which is... of dubious legal standing, but oh well. It has provided a few unique Mini Vehicle decos though.
| Robocars |
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Rubiplas (Venezuela)
Rubiplasreleased anincrediblysmall and short-livedTransformersline in 1985... and this is it. Yes, just five Minicars. Most of these are close to the Hasbro/Takara versions, but with cheaper plastic, and often (but not always) missing paint or chrome. But their Huffer ended up inexplicably weird.
Minicars
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Lynsa (Peru & Chile)
While the Hasbro and TakaraTransformerswere straight-imported into several South American countries by multiple companies,Lynsaapparently gained the license to manufacture and distribute their own, lower-cost versions of the 1984 Minicars in Peru and Chile in 1985. These toys have numerous cost cutbacks like no chrome, minimal paint, and plastic wheels instead of rubber for the Bumblebee and Cliffjumper molds.
Information on these releases is still fairly sparse; we have only listed the confirmed-with-pictures releases here. Reportedly each mold can have up to six different decos: a cheap version of the original Hasbro/Takara deco (or kinda close at least), and then the rest being unique to this market.
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Fiction
The Transformerscartoon
The concept of "Mini Vehicles" was not directly addressed fictionally, but the Mini Vehicle characters were typically drawn to a smallerscalethan other Autobots, particularly in robot mode. Vehicle modes varied a bit more, from Cliffjumper's undersized car, to Warpath's more-or-less normal sized tank. Cosmos regularlysize-changedto become a transport for other Autobots.
MarvelThe Transformerscomics
Audiobooks
Cliffjumperidentified himself as a Minicar to Dr.Heath Blaisedale.Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)
Beast Wars: Uprising
In 1984, the six Minibots arrived at theBritish Museumto confront theSeekersin the middle of a theft.Starscreamgrumbled that they should have known better than to tangle with their "betters", to which Cliffjumper responded by attacking with hisglass gas.Cultural Appropriation
Notes
- During theoriginalTransformerstoyline's first year, Hasbro referred to the assortment as "Autobot Mini Cars", to distinguish them from the largerAutobot Carsassortment. By 1985, the assortment (which included the figures that had debuted in 1984) had been renamed into "Mini Vehicles". Additionally, newspaper toy ads from 1986 and (to a lesser extent) 1987 also identified the smaller members (limbs) of theSpecial Teamscombinersas "Special Team Mini-Vehicles".[2]
- One of the very early store advertisements which referred to the Decepticons jets (Starscream, etc.) as "Seekers"also referred to the Mini Vehicles as" drones ". Why" Seeker "stuck and" drone "did not is left as just one of those mysteries.[3]
- Huffer, Brawn, and Gears, as well as their later derivatives, all have a stylized "M" in the molded detailing of their vehicular modes. Long thought to stand for "Micro Change", information uncovered in the late 2010s indicates that it may be a vestige of the unproduced "Mysterians"toyline.
- The first wave of Mini Vehicles were the only Generation 1 toys released in Venezuela by the companyRubiplas.
- Since the Mini Vehicle concept is primarily toy-based with limited acknowledgement in fiction, it isn't possible to say with confidence whether certain fiction-only characters are Mini Vehicles or not. Those characters are:
- Wipe-Out,Fastback,andRest-Q,whose bodies are based on the Mini Vehicle toys of other characters.
- Some Tailgate lookalike,who looks like, uh, the Mini Vehicle Tailgate. Unlike the three above, his resemblance is a coincidence.
- Scrounge,Subsea,Flattop,who are as small as Mini Vehicles and originated in stories that placed them in Mini Vehicle context.
- Transformers Animatedfeatures Autobots with the65356-9292-346body-type,which is based on the Minicar concept.
Foreign names
- Japanese:Minibot(ミニボットMinibotto)
References
- ↑Takara name, and "Crisis of Command!"
- ↑1986 Transformers toy adsand1987 Transformers toy adsat the Vintage Space Toaster Palace.
- ↑1984 "drone" ad(scan at The Vintage Space Toaster Palace)
