CATALOG SCANS

 
 

1980 / 1981	1980 / 1981 (small)	1982	1982 (large)	1982 / 1983	1983 / 1984	1984
On this page you can find scans of a large number of Diaclone toy catalogs, which came with each Diaclone. Since there are no dates on the catalog I've estimated the release date by comparing the toys that are shown in each catalog looking at the copyright dates. Above you can select which catalog you want to see.

 

1980 or 1981

 

	This is probably the first released Diaclone catalog, because it only has very few    toys in it and it doesn't have the page in the back with earlier released Diaclones,    like every later one had. This catalog came with The Great Robot  Base.
	A scenery picture with The Great Robot Base.
	The Diaclone story.
	The Great Robot Base. I strongly suspect that this was the very first Diaclone that    Takara designed because it's basically a (highly) modified version of the Microman    Punch Robo from the late 70'ies and because it's the only robot in this catalog of    which the design looks already finished.
	On the left are pictures of Diabattles (prototype) and on the right Diatrain (above)    and Cosmo Roller (below).
	On the right page are pictures of the Power Bases and on the left some art of The    Great Robot Base.

 

1980 or 1981 (small)

 

	This is one of the catalogs that came with my Fortress Robot X. Even though    FRX dates from 1982, this catalog only shows earlier designes. Perhaps it was    included to show the Diaclones that weren't shown in the large catalog.
	The other side of this catalog.

 

Early 1982

 

	This picture shows the cover of a Diaclone catalog from early '82. Most of the    Diaclones that would become Transformers weren't designed yet when this    catalog was printed. This catalog came with my Twin Combat Robo.
	Here you can see some art of  from left to right: Battle Buffalo, Fortress Robot X,    Diaclone version of Sunstreaker and Twin Combat.
	Fortress Robot X in base and robot mode. This is the second largest Diaclone,    standing around 37 cm. (15 inch) tall.
	Left page: Here you can see Battle Buffalo (middle) and Gats Blocker (a.k.a.    Multiforce 14). Right page: In the middle you can see the two Walk Insecter    (prototypes) and below Warudaros, mecha from the evil Waruder army.
	Left page: Pictures of the prototypes of Twin Combat (middle) and Double    Soldier (bottom) in both robot modes. Right page: Twin Combat and Skybase    (prototype) as spaceship and as base (bottom).
	Left page: The Great Robot Base, the largest of the Diaclone mecha, in robot    and base mode. Right page: A picture of Big Powered as robot and transformed   into three separated vehicles.
	The first two Diaclone Car Robots: the Diaclone versions of Sunstreaker and    Ironhide.
	A picture of all of the Diaclones that were available when this catalog was    printed.

 

1982

 

	This is the catalog which came with my Fortress Robot X. It shows practically the same    selection of Diaclones as the previous catalog, except that some more Car Robos have    been added.
	The Diaclone story.
	Fortress Robot X in base and robot mode. This is the second largest Diaclone,    standing around 37 cm. (15 inch) tall.
	Left page: Here you can see Battle Buffalo (middle) and Gats Blocker (a.k.a.    Multiforce 14). Right page: In the middle you can see the two Walk Insecter    (prototypes) and below Warudaros, mecha from the evil Waruder army.
	Left page: Pictures of the prototypes of Twin Combat (middle) and Double   Soldier (bottom) in both robot modes. Right page: Twin Combat and Skybase    (prototype) as spaceship and as base (bottom).
	Left page: The Great Robot Base, the largest of the Diaclone mecha, in robot    and base mode. Right page: A picture of Big Powered as robot and transformed   into three separated vehicles.
	The first six Diaclone Car Robots: the Diaclone versions of Sunstreaker, Ironhide,    police car version of Sunstreaker, Ratchet, Trailbreaker and Skids.
	A picture of all of the Diaclones that were available when this catalog was    printed.

 

Late 1982 / early 1983

 

	This picture shows the front and back cover of a Japanese Diaclone catalog , which    dates from late '82 or early '83. This is the standard catalog that came with the Car   Robos.
	These pages tell the story of  how the Diaclone force defends Earth against the    evil alien race, the insect-like Waruders.
	Here you can see the red Diaclone version of Sunstreaker, the black Diaclone    version of Ironhide, Diaclone Ratchet, and another version of Sunstreaker, but    then as a black and white police car.
	These pages show the Diaclone versions of  the following Autobot Cars:    Trailbreaker, Skids (red, with a little scooter!), Bluestreak (the legendary blue    Bluestreak, but then as a Diaclone), Hoist (red i.o. green), another Skids    (black, also with the little scooter), Inferno, Smokescreen and Hound.
	Here you find pictures of the Diaclone versions of: Prowl, Jazz, Sideswipe, Mirage   and Wheeljack. The last four are concept drawings. Especially Wheeljack looks    very different from the final version.
	Here you can see the prototype of Optimus Prime. Notice the large shoulder    cannon and the long antennae on the sides of his head! To bad this version was    never sold as a Diaclone.
	The Diaclone Train Robo, which you can see here were never released in the    US as Transformers, but they were released in Japan as the Trainbots.
	Left page: Here you can see concept art of the Diaclone versions of Starscream and    Thundercracker. Right page: These are the Change Attackers, which were cars    with pull-back engines, that could change into a sort of armed vehicles and did    not have a robot mode . They were never released as Transformers.
	On the left are some early drawings of the Diaclone Jumpstarts. In the middle you    can see the Warudaros and the Walk Insecter. On the right there are pictures of the    prototypes of the Diaclone versions of the Insecticons, which look very different    from their final versions.
	A picture of all of the Diaclones that were available when this catalog was    printed.

 

Late 1983 / early 1984

 

	This small catalog came with most of the smaller Diaclones like the    Diaclone Jumpstarters, Constructicons etc. It was the first catalog that I    got, so most of the pictures in the Diaclone toy page are from this catalog.
	The other side of the same catalog.

 

1984

 

	This catalog dates from 1984, just before the Transformers were released.    Therefore it shows all of the Diaclones that were released as Transformers.    This catalog came with a Jet/tank Triplechanger (Blitzwing).
	These pages describe the Diaclone story. In picture in the upper right corner    you can see a drawing of Battle Convoy (Optimus Prime).
	These pages show the Diaclone Car Robos and Battle Convoy, with a blue    "Roller". So apparently both the blue and the grey Roller versions were released    as Diaclones as well as Transformers.
	Left page: the Change Attack Robos (Jumpstarters).    Right page: a picture with several Diaclones.
	Left page: Powered Convoy (Ultra Magnus) prototype.    Right page: Construction Robo (Constructicon) art.
	Left page: Diaclone versions of Devastator and Reideen.    Right page: Train Robo nr. 1 to 12
	Left page: Construction Robo (Constructicons) prototypes.    Right page: Triple Changer prototypes.
	Left page: Insecter Robo (Insecticons) and Cyborg Monster Machine Dragon.    Right page: Dinosaur Robo (Dinobot) art.
	Dinosaur Robo (Dinobot) prototypes. The Diaclone version of Swoop is now    pictured too. Although it shows a silver chest here, it was sold with a blue chest    (just like in the cartoon).
	Double Changers (Omnibots).