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Non-affiliated, Non-lengthy, Non-articles about Transformers

Friday 2 May 2014

Takara G1 "44 Tracks" Quickie



In 1985, Takara released the first 2 series of the Transformers in Japan with their own numbering system, and in that system the Autobot warrior "Tracks" was 44. Tracks is one of the more tricky Takara Cybertron cars to find boxed and in nice condition, up there with 07 Ligier (Mirage), 25 Trailbreaker, 03 Wheeljack and 08 Streak. Although, the difficulty of each Autobot car in Japanese packaging does depend on who you talk to, many have differing experiences. One thing everyone will agree on, though, is that this particular 44 Tracks specimen is a show stopper.

1985 Takara box back artwork

There are many differences between the Japanese Tracks package and the template used in the rest of the world. Apart from the altered box back artwork, now featuring Swoop, Devastator and Blitzwing instead of non-Takara toys Jetfire and Shockwave (but still Red Tracks!), other obvious differences are the much smaller Japanese packaging, based entirely around the Diaclone-style styrofoam insert. 

44 Tracks contents

The styrofoam insert, there's another difference, no carded bubbles here but altered Diaclone styro tray with the Diaclone driver space filled in (would have been top left corner). The Japanese text and logo across the box is another immediately obvious change. Of some interest is the Takara logo in the bottom right hand corner of the box front. Tracks's is the only box to have black Takara text inside a solid white oval. Virtually every other Japanese G1 Transformers package from 01 to 49 (before the C-xx/D-xx system) has white Takara text in a white oval outline, but the red or purple grid pattern shows through. Only Tracks, Skywarp and Starscream show a difference, with Skywarp and Starscream's "TAKARA" ovals having a red outline and red text.

Tight squeeze

It was a real surprise to me when I opened the box for photography, I had no idea how tightly the many pieces of paperwork accompanying 44 Tracks were jammed into the box. It's actually a really careful procedure to get it all back in without damaging the already-bulging package. There's the product catalogue, mail away promotion, customer satisfaction card, Japanese instruction sheet and Tracks's stickersheet.

Diaclone style styro, no space for the driver though

Surely this is the only way to display your vintage G1 toys after you're done playing with them. The styro inserts of Takara G1 are one of the features that appeal to collectors the most. Collectors naturally like to preserve, so this works better than bubble inserts glued to cards, susceptible to the wear of time and use. The Japanese Tracks has firing launchers, their safety legislation not requiring the neutering of projectile-firing toy accessories.

For Transformers, Tracks's handgun had its stock piece shortened so that the toy could hold its gun facing fully forwards (box artwork was also amended from Diaclone to reflect this new-found ability). You can see the extra styro space on the right end of the gun as a result.

Mega rare Takara "Screw With Future Collectors" campaign prize 44 Black Tracks

Hyper rare Takara "I Have A Case Of These Under The Counter For Japanese Speaking Collectors Only" store exclusive red 44 Tracks
Japanese boxed Transformers are very popular and the Cybertron cars even moreso. They're like a beautiful hybrid of the Transformers packaging burned deep into our psyche and the ancient but classy Diaclone packaging, so dripping with prestige.

So, what would you think of me if I told you that I bought this utterly jaw-dropping Japanese Tracks unused for 220 Euros shipped from Italy, only to trade it directly for an empty Diaclone/MB Tracks styrofoam tray? EMPTY STYROFOAM. Well, when the result was this...


...I hope it makes a little more sense.

Was there a moment where I considered keeping the 44 Tracks and passing on the styro? You bet your ass.

Ode to Tracks

All the best
Maz






11 comments:

  1. It's taken me 25 years to appreciate the Tracks mold. Looking at all of the different variations has really hammered home just how striking the vehicle mode really is.

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    Replies
    1. Very close battle between Mirage, Sunstreaker, Tracks and Sideswipe for best car mould. And Smokescreen.

      Useless.

      ;)

      All the best
      Maz

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    2. waitaminute.... what about Bluestreak, heh.

      I love Sunstreaker to bits and when little loved him to pieces, but mold-wise, I don't think he should be up there with any "best mold" type lists. Out of the G1 diaclone inspired molds, I think Sunstreaker is one of the weakest molds.

      Car shape is odd; unweildly underbelly flap that becomes loose really fast; disproportionately long arms in robot mode...etc etc.

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    3. Oh shush you Bluestreak fanboy, Sunstreaker is so much nicer than virtually all the other Diaclone moulds. That head sculpt is worth a million Bluestreaks alone :D

      Now on the Diaclone version, the underbelly is much more secure. Mould degradation started early on this one I suspect.

      All the best
      Maz

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  2. Replies
    1. You really must have thought I was crazy to swap that for your styro haha!

      All the best
      Maz

      Delete
    2. Yes I did....but I am crazy too, so.... ;-)

      Delete
  3. There's something I'm curious about - the four raised dots on the wheel pins of the Takara G1. Unless I'm mistaken, I've only seen that on the 1986 European-issue Tracks (and a Tracks with a US box, but not sure if it wasn't part-swapped). Practically every Tracks (G1 or diaclone), that I've seen anyway, seems to have the hexagonal pins (while the reissue as the flat circular pins, but anyway...). I haven't yet looked very deeply into this, but couldn't help wondering if there might be something to it. What I find intriguing is that the box art, from diaclone on, has always shown the four raised dots on the wheel pins as well, so that it's like they retroactively redid the wheel pins, although why at this late stage and why only for the Takara and European releases ? Perhaps these 2 came from the same stock ?

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    Replies
    1. Alright, now this is interesting. Just had a quick look at some of my pictures and I've noticed:

      - Diaclone Black and red : flat
      - MB red: flat
      - 85 UK Hasbro Tracks: flat
      - 85 Takara Tracks: raised dots
      - Reissue Road Rage: flat
      - Reissue LD Black Tracks: flat

      And if the 1986 Hasbro Europe have the four raised bits too, then it means the late 1985 Takara Tracks and 86 Hasbro Europe mould (from Takara) would be of the same batch and just indicative of the last G1 runs of the toy.

      Looking at the yellow proto found in Hasbro UK ex-employee's possession, that too has the four raised circles:
      http://tfsource.com/blog/the-appeal-of-pre-production-part-2/

      So I'd be very keen to know if the Euro gold box Classic Heroes Tracks has them too...

      *checks*

      Yep. The Classic era Tracks with the black painted shins fromt he gold box toys have the four raised circles too.

      All the best
      Maz

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    2. Wow, that's very interesting about the proto and the Euro gold box. It would seem to point to, as you said, all the tail-end G1 Tracks and the G"1.5" Tracks having the raised wheel pins - a particularity, then, of that (rather protracted) time period.

      Afterwards, when Tracks was once again manufactured (early 2000s with the Hasbro/Takara & ehobby reissues), they moved on to yet another, 3rd type of wheel pin, a flat and circular design (which is not quite the same as the first type of "flat" wheel pin).

      I'm still intrigued by the decision to redesign, as it were, the wheel pins during the "second" period (G1-G1.5, or 1985 to early, I think ?, 1990s), and not only that, but so that it resembles the original diaclone box drawing. It just seems like such a small thing, that I can't help wondering if there was a practical rather than esthetic reason behind it...

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    3. There's almost never aesthetic reasons for this when looking back at vintage era, it was almost always to do with a practical strengthening of a part or just for better functionality. It could also signify the mould/parts available when production started up again ata different facility. Maybe the mould for that particular section had degraded or been lost, necessitating the production of a newer mould - and maybe it had to be based off the only reference material they had, the box art?

      All the best
      Maz

      Delete