7001 'Converts from a Sports car to a powerful Robot.' - Dah Yang
Fire Robot is based on a late 70s Pontiac Firebird sports car with its name loosely tying to that. It's a familiar monopod design in robot mode folding up into a fairly decent vehicle mode.
As with likely all the Kinsman releases, it's very probable Dah Yang didn't design the toy themselves. That said, at this time a previous release matching this exact sculpt hasn't been found. The prototype has a different head that's been hand painted, as with the neck and weapon while the car sections appear to be production cast. This could indicate a previous robot was modified to give it a unique look or an existing car toy was reworked to add a robot mode.
Changing modes is a manual process with the battery/remote control function for driving the car and robot around only.
In robot mode from the front and in vehicle mode the toy looks okay, unfortunately that's really where the positives end.
Driving the robot by remote control works okay. All of the motion is from the rear wheels including turning. A ball bearing under the front of the monopod foot provides a third wheel. In vehicle mode. Turning is still from the back and so the smooth, front wheels skate sideways seeing the car turn unnaturally.
The poor inking on the factory applied stickers has them look scuffed directly out of the box.
All in all it's a fun, cobbled together, budget offering from a company capitalising on the 80's, robots that change into stuff boom.
See Kinsman main index for further details.
Region Codes Used: US United States / UK United Kingdom / FR France / IT Italy - Location codes only shown where items were known to be released.
This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete. If you are able to confirm release in other regions please get in contact.
Kinsman 7001 US/UK/FR/IT Dah Yang 1985
Trivia The registration plate sticker reads 'DY-7001' reflecting Dah Yang and the toy's model number.
Fire Robot's hand weapon is a remodelled Transformers G1 Optimus Prime gun and this is even more evident in the box art photo where the designers have yet to remove as much of the original before painting it silver. As Fire Robot doesn't have hands that can hold and accessory, a plug has been added to the weapon's stock that inserts into the hand ignoring its native grip. The closeness of the arms to the hood/bonnet means they can't be raised without removing the gun then reattaching it.
Stamped Made in Taiwan
Hand painted prototype with different face sculpt and paint application