Diaclone "Blue Trailbreaker" Quickie

The blue version of Takara's No.5 Diaclone Car Robot Hilux 4WD is not considered one of the rarer or more desirable of the non-TF variant releases in the history of pre-Transformers. It was available first in Japan, then in Italy under GiG's umbrella as well as in North America, released as Diakron DK-3. The latter is how it tends to appear the most, either from the US or even in Finland where they were exported to. That is actually where the "Blue Trailbreaker" (named for its eventual popular release as the Autobot Trailbreaker) hails from, an R-Kioski stall in Finland, in Diakron packaging. It's a crying shame for this release that most do not consider it valuable, because finding one unused in GiG or Japanese packaging is so much harder than most would imagine. When was the last time you saw a Japanese one for sale in unused nick?

With borrowed styro and accessories for effect

The blue Hilux came with blue fists on sprue and otherwise identical accessories to the black or yellow versions of the mould, all those chrome launching parts, the head array and the green/black driver with magnetic feet. Italian versions did not have a driver, but Diakron releases retained that feature as they are from a pre-Transformers era initially and not as safety-neutered. 

In Japan there were two variants of this toy, one with the blue tinted windows all round, and one with clear windows. The latter seems to be the tougher variant. I wonder if it was changed because with the blue tint, it's almost impossible to see the Diaclone driver inside the cab. The side stickers which are factory applied are black, like the yellow Diaclone and the Transformers, GiG and Ceji Joustra release of the black Hilux/Trailbreaker. Only the Japanese Diaclone black pre-Trailbreaker Hilux has the yellow factory stripes on the side of the vehicle.

The Hilux mould is as old school as they come, dripping with chrome and die cast that will wear at a glance, and they often turn up with blazing chrome wear exposing bright red plastic underneath, effectively destroying the intended contrast of colour on these toys. Paint chipping on die cast sections and missing accessories - especially the colour coded fists - are similarly typical issues. So, to find a blue Hilux with both fists, good chrome and good joints was a genuine treat, and from Finland no less. 

To me this is a massively classy deco of a superb mould, truly underrated and often missing in packaged format from a lot of Diaclone collections in the condition one can find stuff like Marlboor Wheeljack in regularly: unused. The number of configurations one can display him with, using fists or all the projectiles in the arms, or having the missiles mounted on the backpack (creating more chrome wear every time) mean that there's plenty to come back for.

All the best
Maz