Packaged transforming toy robot/car, 'Tranformers: Robots in Disguise' (Autobot Bumblebee Deluxe); Hasbro, 2006

Packaged transforming toy car and trailer-mounted jetski. The car resembles a sporty hatchback, and is made from yellow plastic, with some silver and white painted details. It can be transformed into the likeness of a robot. The object is contained within a clear plastic bubble, attached to a colour printed card back.

Acquired by the Museum in 2017 [2017/265]

Transformers are alien robots hailing from the planet Cybertron, all of them are capable of assuming an alternate form, usually a vehicle, through a series of folding movements. They are typically divided into two factions: Autobots and Decepticons. The Autobots are heroic, peace-loving and curious about humanity, they are led by Optimus Prime, who typically transforms into an articulated truck. The Decepticons are evil, authoritarian and contemptuous of other life-forms, they are led by the maniacal Megatron, who originally transformed into a realistic-looking handgun.

Initially, the franchise was essentially an American rebrand of two toylines already produced by Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Tomy: ‘Diaclone’ and ‘Microman’. Hasbro had purchased the distribution rights to these lines in the early-1980s. Transformers was launched in the United States and Europe in 1984-85. The enormously popular toys inspired many spin-offs, including several animated television series’, a feature-length animated film (1986), multiple comic books series (including by Marvel, who had co-operated with Hasbro to produce GI Joe comics) and, inevitably, subsequent lines of toys. A series of big budget, live-action films have been produced by Warner Brothers since 2007.

The Transformers: Classics line was produced by Hasbro/Takara in 2006 to fill a market gap caused by delays in the release of the first live-action Transformers film (2007). The line revisited and redesigned several original characters from Transformers' 1980s Generation 1 heyday.

B.16-2017