COUNTDOWN: 5 Generation 1 toys that were sadly never repainted

Despite repaints having since become a staple of many toy lines, and most notably Transformers, it’s surprising to consider that the vast majority of the classic robots in disguise toys were one and done during the series’ 1980s heyday.

Some of those have found newly-recoloured life in reissue lines of various kinds down the years, mind. Still, plenty of examples of original series Transformers designs were sadly only ever released in the one colour scheme. Today, let’s consider some of those, and why it’s a shame they never got another outing!

#5: Slapdash

1988’s Slapdash isn’t exactly one of your more well-known Transformers characters, especially having never featured in the cartoon of the time and only making sporadic apparances in the Marvel comic besides. Yet the toy itself is an all-time banger, boasting the now-classic Powermaster play pattern and not to mention one of the most creative and surprising transformations on any design of the era. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s a bit of vintage Transformers perfection, so it’s a crying shame to consider we only ever saw the toy released in the one blue and yellow colour scheme. Now imagine it in any other palette conceivable, and you’ll instantly understand why I lament this fact, given how much potential was left on the table back in the ’80s here. For me, though, I can’t help but consider the design in red and grey, if only because it would be so wildly different from what we know.

#4: Metalhawk

True, I could pop any Pretender name on this list and it would be fair game, considering that none of them were ever selected for repaint status (bar the occasional oddity such as the Grand Maximus shell making a comeback for 2017’s Megatron subscription figure!). Perhaps it’s because he’s the apex of Japanese exclusivity, but something about Metalhawk has always intrigued me. In this case, it’s not hard to consider how the design could easily have been given a subsequent outing in a glaringly different set of hues to complement the classic gold and blue we all know and love. The chrome is the most intriguing part here, as one can’t help but imagine it in shiny silver, perhaps served alongside some orange and black to truly set it apart from the original. Either way, it’s a shame it never happened.

#3: Hardhead

Similar to Pretenders, there were plenty of amazing Headmaster designs back in the day which could have been given another outing in all kinds of colours. We know the powers that be at least considered turning Chromedome into a funky pink Arcee at some point in the proceedings, but think what could have been done with Hardhead alongside it. Tank Transformers are always fun, but we’re already imagining an overhaul in dark blue with grey accents to help it stand apart from the bright green original outing. Either that or there was an incredible custom effort doing the rounds recently, which used this design as the basis for a G1 tank Megatron – now, that could have been something!

#2: Blurr

Unlike his contemporaries, Hot Rod and Kup, it’s always been a strange truth that the classic 1986 Blurr toy was never brought back for subsequent releases or reissues, or at least not after its 1987 Targetmaster upgrade. It makes picking up a nice condition vintage G1 Blurr that little bit more tricky, but it also means we’ve never been able to experience the mould in anything other than its traditional baby blues, which is a shame considering how creative the e-HOBBY era was with the Kup design, for starters. Sure, it’s hard to imagine the distinctive chararacter traits at play carrying over to another colour scheme. However, it could still be fun to see – just consider it in Decepticon purple, for one thing!

#1: Predaking

Technically, this one is a bit of a cheat, considering that the behemoth Predacon combiner has been re-released more than a few times down the years, and occasionally in slightly altered colours, no less. Yet even those versions stuck far too close to the classic template, simply swapping out the traditional yellows for a slightly more gaudy gold. I mean, if you’re going to overhaul a mould like this, at least go the whole hog and deliver something wildly different, right? Who wouldn’t want to see this diecast-laden monstrosity in colours entirely separate from what we typically think of, such as blues or greens? Or how about a black and purple spin on the Mastermind Creations ‘Nero Rex palette? Failing that, give each of the limbs its own distinct look and break up the uniform orange for a mix and match approach similar to what we associate with Scramble City combiners. Now that would be something to behold!

So that’s our list! Which G1 repaints would you most like to see happen?

TTFN