Autobots In Disguise

 

When you focus on obscure or bizarre Transformers and pre-Transformers, you can lose sight of the reason why you started collecting in the first place. Or maybe you don't and I'm just rubbish at this collecting stuff. Anyway, a few people (*cough* Paul *cough*) have told me the key to Transformers collecting happiness and contentment for me would be a complete run of 1984 / 1985 Autobots and Decepticons - just loose reissues where possible - and that would remind me of what I love the most. The thing is, I keep saying that I already basically have 1984 sorted, but not exactly as they suggested.

Autobots in Disguise

1985 I definitely do not have, I have actually never owned a Blaster or any of his cassettes, any Deluxe Insecticons, Roadbuster, Whirl, Inferno or Sludge, and I no longer have a Megatron, Soundwave, Skywarp, Ramjet, Devastator, Hoist, Cosmos, Beachcomber etc etc, you get the idea. A lot has been sacrificed for the sake of my Joustra, Finnish or other Diaclone or variant collecting (and now Macross and Masterpiece). What I do have though, is nearly all of the 1984 Autobot cars in pre-Transformers format. The above group shots involve all Ceji Joustra Diaclones, and a red Finnish Diaclone Onebox Cherry Vanette - otherwise known in Transformers as "Ironhide". Not an Autobot symbol in sight.

Autobots in Disguise - and Sunstreaker

I have a feeling that the Autobot cars are why many Diaclone collectors get into that field of pre-TFs, it's the world of variant colours we find gems such as Bluestreak, Sideswipe and Tracks in that holds all of the allure. It's certainly the case for me, I'd never have started on Diaclone had I not seen police variants of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, and the yellow Sideswipe or red Tracks. So, with the source of my love for Diaclone being my childhood Autobot cars, I guess Paul and co's suggestion holds weight. Certainly JB's gift of 3 reissue cars for my birthday supports that considering how thrilled I was to get them.

And some keychains too

I own a childhood Sunstreaker to fill the Ceji Joustra Diaclone Countach hole (the #1 toy on my wants list - just a reminder), and the Diaclone yellow New Countach fills the Sideswipe gap - and since that's the colour Sideswipe was meant to be in the first instance, it's almost perfect. So what's the only missing car? Bluestreak. And wasn't there a time that Bluestreak was considered the rarest G1 car from 1984? Well, that was a very long time ago, and the above group shot makes me regret selling my Blackhood Fairlady Bluestreak. The last thing I need is another quest, though, and the above group of pre-Transformers 1984 Autobots has been assembled accidentally through the pursuit of already-impossible targets. Putting them all together, I have to admit, brings a huge smile to my face, and reminds me why I ever picked this hobby up in the first place.

It's always been about the Autobot cars.

Cast and crew

All the best
Maz