Saturday, October 10, 2009

Autobot "Mini-bots"

Vintage G1 Mini Bots
Autobots from left to right - Windcharger, Outback, Pipes, Wheelie,
Powerglide, Gears, Beachcomber, Warpath and Brawn

These Transformers are part of the Japanese Microman/MicroChange line released 1983.

Below I have detailed shots of my favorite mini-bots

Autobot Windcharger

This was the one that started it all for me, my first Transformer. As a red sports car I can see why this guy would appeal to a boy. I really don't remember too much about the ramp up to the release of the first Transformers toys, but I picked this up in a small toy store like KB in the mall in 84' I guess.

Windchargers alt mode is a 80's Pontiac Trans Am, well a very distorted and bloated one. They were pretty popular "cool" cars at the time, but now people don't think too much of them. Thankfully he was reborn as a Honda S 2000 for the Alternators line.

Autobot Powerglide

For a mini bot Powerglide makes a cool robot, if only they had the ability at the time to give him separating feet. Still, his arms have a lot of pose ability, the head rotates and proportions are nice. Transformation is very different from most other mini bots where the arms just pop out and legs flip down. The way the wings fold up to the body and the arms come out is cool.

The A-10 Thunderbolt is one of my favorite warplanes, it's so different looking and full of bad ass-ness! The mould has great details in alt mode, the big nose cannon is well represented.

Autobot Warpath

Warpath is one of the bots that suffers from a weak robot mode, but his tank mode is very cool. I allways did like how his head flips up from the turret.

Warpath is a M551 Sheridan light tank, and he looks great in this mode. The turret rotates all the way around, and even the simple use of color works well.

"Bonus pic"
Autobot Outback doing the robot, lol!

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