Optimus Prime: Call him Convoy! part 1

Hello there, I decided to revisit Optimus Prime and to do all his toys. I found it very overwhelming and decided to cut it up into sections. He started life as Battle Convoy and so we will first look at all the Convoys.

Either 1982 or 83 – Takara – Unknown class – created a Prototype for their Battle Convoy toy for their Diaclone toy line. This toy was abandoned, not produced and changed completely. He was Blue, no faceplate and his Yellow car carrier trailer was just that and served no other purpose. (I for one am glad they switched gears here, since this one is not at all nice looking)

1983 – Takara – Unknown class – Diaclone No.17 Battle Convoy: The first and soon to be iconic toy, he came with 3 “robot pilots” and the names “Battle Convoy” and “Diaclone” inserted into the trailer’s stripe. (he was intended to be a mecha type machine piloted by tiny robots) He transforms into a Red and Blue 1970’s Freightliner cab over engine semi-trailer truck with a Silver trailer that splits open to form a battle deck with an extendable boom arm with a cockpit for a pilot to sit and has two movable repair arms. There is also a spring loaded section that launches a six wheeled Blue drone called “Roller” The base of the deck had metal plates so the pilots who had magnets in their feet could stand upright.

1985 – Takara – Unknown class – Convoy Vs. Megatron 2-Pack : A Japanese exclusive sold with the Japanese version of Megatron (without the gun attachements) There is no difference between this release and the standard sold separately Battle Convoy.

1985 – Takara – Unknown class – Good Bye Convoy: Alluding to the death of Optimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie, this set’s Convoy has translucent Blue windows. He comes with Mirage called “Ligier” and Red Alert simply shortened to “Alert”, (an apparent homage to the Diaclone “Powered Convoy DX” giftset that had versions of pre-Ultra Magnus, Mirage and Red Alert)

1985 – Takara – Unknown class – Transform Jr/Transform Gōkin Convoy: First of the Transform Jr toys, he is a simplistic smaller version of the original with only his gun and a cardboard put together trailer. He was meant for lower budgets and younger children.

1987 – Takara – Unknown class – Transform Jr Cybertron Hero Set Convoy: Same version of the Transform Jr Convoy but comes with the toy line versions of Chromedome and Fortress Maximus.

1991 – Takara – Unknown class – Star Convoy: The first to transform into a long nosed cab and was battery powered with the trailer making it move forward or backward with a spinning radar dish. He does not disconnect from the trailer for a separate robot. He also transforms into a play battle station for micr master toys of the line. He was also reissued in 2005

2000 – Takara – Unknown class – Reissue Convoy: The first of Takara’s reissues, with the only modification is to the fists for him to hold the gun better.

2000 – Takara – Unknown class – Black Convoy: A straight repaint completely in Black and was a JAFCON (Japanese Convention) exclusive.

2000 – Takara – Unknown class – Gold Convoy: A Lucky draw prize for a contest has all the Silver chrome replaced with Gold and is extremely rare with numbers thought to be around 25.

2001 – Takara – Unknown class – Nucleon Quest Super Convoy: A repaint of the Japanese retool “Ginrai” Power Master Optimus Prime. All in Black with Red windows and Silver chrome detailing, he was a Toys R Us exclsive.

2001 – Takara – Unknown class – Choro-Q Robo TV Version Convoy: This is the Choro-Q version of Prime that are deformed similar to the G1 mini vehicle Bumblebee but feature pull back motors similar to Throttlebot Gold Bug. The trailer folds up his back. There was also a Metallic version done in Silver.

2002 – Takara – Unknown class – New Years Special Convoy: A slight redeco of the Original toy with Blue windows, a die cast metal Matrix of Leadership and a redeco of the Action Master Optimus Prime and a computer mouse pad.

2003 – Takara – Unknown class – Transformers Collection Convoy: Another release of the toy this time with an “Energon Axe” to simulate the cartoon episode where Prime fights Megatron on Sherman Dam.

2003 – Takara – Unknown class – Smallest Transforming Transformers Convoy: Often called World’s Smallest Transformers, These are very small scaled down versions of G1 Transformers and were blind packed. There are four versions 1) Convoy 2) Short pack version with Trailer and Roller, 3) Anime version 4) White version.

2003 – Takara – Masterpiece class – MP-1 Masterpiece Convoy: This version is slightly different then the American Masterpiece in which it has longer smoke stacks. Ion blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, gun mode Megatron, Megatron’s scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe, and a cardboard trailer

2004 – Takara – Masterpiece class – MP-1 Golden lucky draw Masterpiece Convoy: An all Golden Chromed version for a contest.

2004 – Takara – Unknown class – Mini Toy Shop Collection Convoy: An even smaller version but is non a transforming toy so you get the vehicle mode and the robot mode together in a 2-pack

2006 – Takara – Masterpiece class – MP-4 “Perfect Edition” Masterpiece Convoy: This version is same as the other but comes with an actual trailer

2010 – Takara – Masterpiece class – MP-4S “Sleep Mode” Masterpiece Convoy: In Black and Grey, as inspired by Opimus’s dead body in The Transformers: The Movie. His trailer is translucent, his axe his transparent Grey and the Megatron gun is translucent Purple (from the scene where he is changed into Galvatron)

2011 – Takara – Masterpiece class – MP-1L “Last Production” Masterpiece Convoy: A final use of the mold, in slightly brighter Red, comes with a base with sound bites and molded into his lower back is the mords “Last Shot”

2011 – Takara – Masterpiece class – MP-10 Masterpiece Convoy: An all new mold that is slightly smaller to be more in scale with the others in the line and comes with Ion blaster, Matrix of Leadership, energon-axe, trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, and a Spike Witwicky figurine.

2011 – Takara – Unknown class – Reissue BAPE “Green” Version Convoy: An exclusive for the Bathing Ape clothing line that went along with a variety of TF T-shirts. He is in all Green with a Camo print covered Trailer.