I picked randomly and found Trailbreaker who was converted by HASBRO into their Transformer toy line up from a TAKARA Diaclone toy. He shares his basic truck / robot body mold with Hoist (something that has happened a couple of times in the history of these two.) 

His cartoon version sports only a right hand, with the left replaced with a weapon where the original toy has both hands and a set of weapons that can be changed out or attach to his back. His silver radar scanner above his head is off to one side allowing for his other weapon to be used on the other side.

In the Marvel comics, Trailbreaker is pretty much like his cartoon form but the color on his legs are switched and he lacks the silver radar scanner and weapon systems are missing

• TAKARA – 1983: Deluxe class No. 5 4WD Hi-luxe: Pre-Trailbreaker was Toyota Hilux available in black, blue and yellow decos. (The blue version was sold by Takara in North America as the Diakron “DK-3” Car/Robot in 1983, just a few months before the Hasbro release.) He also came with a diaclone driver robot making him a mech and not an actual robot.

• HASBRO – 1984: Deluxe class G1 Trailbreaker:  Virtually unchanged from the Diaclone release except for the Autobot symbol on his chest / hood.

• TAKARA – 2008: Deluxe class Encore Trailbreaker: After twenty four years of not being around he popped up in Takara’s Encore series with only a few miner changes, he retained the Autobot symbol and his chest, slightly different side stickers and blue windows and eye visor instead of black.

• HASBRO – 2010: Legends Class Reveal the Shield Trailcutter: A smaller but all new mold but keeps his classic look all the way except for a lack of stickers and is almost all black except except some some silver, red with gold headlights and dark blue windows.  (His name was changed due to trademark issues as was common with such generic names)

• TAKARA – 2011: Legends Class EZ Collection Trailbreaker:  Almost identical as his Hasbro release except for a brighter blue  windows and he reverted back to his “Breaker” name

• HASBRO – 2013 Deluxe class Generations Trailcutter: A return to the deluxe class as part of the thrilling 30 celebrating the 30 years of Hasbro’s Transformers. A newly designed modern pick-up truck in familiar colors of black, silver and more red. The truck bed canopy is removable, and transforms into a “battle shield” with mounted blasters.

• TAKARA – 2013 Deluxe class Generations Trailbreaker: A Japanese redeco of the Hasbro Generations toy in a different shade of black and a darker red with a translucent blue windshield with new paint operations, like silver paint on his bumper, hubcaps and forearms, painted back lights and a red visor among other slight changes. he was only available in a two-pack with Hoist (who just happens to share the same mold with some changes) and once again returns to his “breaker” name.

• HASBRO – 2015: Deluxe class Combiner Wars Trailbreaker: Although this is yet to be seen and is mostly rumor, this name popped up in a product list recently and others on the list have become been produced, so the likelihood of this toy being a reality is quite strong. (No pictures are available quite yet but I will keep you informed.)

Foreign names

• Japanese: Toreirubureikā
• French: Glouton (“Greedy”)
• French Canadian Glutton
• Hebrew: Shovér Kronot
• Hungarian: Ösvényvágó (“Cutting path”)
• Italian: Tuono (“Thunder”)
• Mandarin: Kāilù Xiānfēng (“Pioneer”)
• Portuguese: Pica-Trilhos (“Pica – rails”)
• Spanish: Abre-alas (“Open – wings”)
• Russian: Sledopyt (“Tracker”)

There was a rumor in 2012 that Trailbreaker would replace the killed off Ironhide in Transformers 4 Age of Extinction as a Chevy Tahoe offroad edition, this was fueled by a fan created pic that was very convincingly real like but this rumor proved wrong when he was not in the film. here is the pic:

Well this has been a short one, and as I go with less known and less popular transformers, I see more lighter entries in my future. I hope that Trailbreaker and other less used bots get more toys. Thank you for reading!