'Automatically converts from a car to a robot'
Robot Riser is a battery operated, transforming robot toy released by Dah Yang in 1985. While it's likely Dah Yang didn't create the toy, the original manufacturer has yet to be determined.
In car mode it drives forward, stops and then rears up to reveal the robot underneath. Even by 80's monopod, automatically transforming robot toy standards this is a fairly basic offering. While the eyes and chest weapon do light up, there's been no attempt to hide the wires that run from the chest to the head. The short arms hang T-rex style and there's no articulation or accessories. It's safe to say it's geared more around novelty than any long term play value. As there's no way to manually change modes, when the batteries are depleted it's locked in that form.
In contrast, the toy makes a pretty decent 1982 Toyota Carib Sprinter 4WD. The detail of the car sculpt vs. its robot mode makes this likely to have been an existing car toy that was modified to add the robot feature; see below prototype details.
There are two versions, all black as seen below and a colour variant with the car body shell in bright red. The rest of the toy is the same in both versions.
Prototype What is clearly a prototype is seen on the Robot Riser's box. While very likley a non-transforming mock-up due to how the arms are attached, it sports brightly coloured, hand painted areas and stickers not seen on the production versions. The silver car mode is very likely the existing toy speculated above and includes clear headlamps also not included on Robot Riser. The chest weapon is green instead of red and reused from previous robot toys. The black version of Tam Toys' 'Action Robo' has the same weapon cast in orange and this may give some indication as to the origins of the car mode.
See Kinsman main index for further details.
Region Codes Used: US United States / UK United Kingdom - 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 7011 US Dah Yang (black) 1985
Kinsman 7011 US Dah Yang (red & black) 1985
Kinsman 7011 UK Kingsonic* (black) 1985
* boxes showing regional importers / distributors still featured the Dah Yang logo.
Both black and red versions were likely released in other locations as well, however so far regionally identifying distributor packaging has not been sighted.
Made in Taiwan
Credit Red Robot Riser variant example kindly supplied by Antonio Rossi.
Red Robot Riser Variant