'The Automatic Robot'
Pow-R-Trons are a line of robot toys by ERTL released in 1985.
They have friction flywheel motors that drive the rubber wheels in both robot and vehicle modes. When a Pow-R-Tron collides with an obstacle in vehicle mode a button on the bumper is pressed causing the robot form to spring out and drive back away from the obstruction.
The ERTL Pow-R-Trons, as with many United States released robot toys are licensed copies of an existing Japanese toy line. Both Turboid and Distroid where first released by Japanese company Fujisho as 'Attack Change Machine Powertrons'.
Post ERTL's release Estrela in Brazil later also issued the two figures as 'Turbo' (green/black & red/grey) and 'Pick-up' (orange/black & green/purple) in their country specific Transformers line as 'Bat-Robô'.
Under license Sonokong in Korea released them once again as 'Brave Jumpcar' in a variety of re-decorated styles such as the addition of police car roof lights and colouring.
Brazilian company Glasslite released at least two models (yellow and grey Turboids) unlicensed with the title 'Crash Tron' named 'Turborg' for the Mutante line.
Oddly the ERTL Pow-R-Tron series saw the inclusion of a partially recoloured and re-stickered version of the 'Torboid' figure to tie it in with the Knight Rider TV series. It's even more strange that the figure was called 'Knight Rider' and not 'K.I.T.T.' that would have better matched the show's talking car character.
Region Codes Used: US United States / UK United Kingdom / EU Europe / CA CANADA
NOTE: Region codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete.
Pow-R-Trons USA/CA/UK/EU ERTL 1985
Released in window fronted boxes and on two variant blister cards; plain colour and cartoon art versions.
*While not confirmed it's likely the boxed releases were a UK / EU distribution due to the spelling of 'Motorised' in the tag line, 'Automatic Motorised Robots!' and where the majority seem to found today.
Pow-R-Trons USA/CA/UK/EU ERTL 1985
Released in window fronted boxes and on two variant blister cards; plain colour and cartoon art versions.
*While not confirmed it's likely the boxed releases were a UK / EU distribution due to the spelling of 'Motorised' in the tag line, 'Automatic Motorised Robots!' and where the majority seem to found today.
Pow-R-Trons USA/CA/UK/EU ERTL 1985
Released in window fronted boxes and on two variant blister cards; plain colour and cartoon art versions.
*While not confirmed it's likely the boxed releases were a UK / EU distribution due to the spelling of 'Motorised' in the tag line, 'Automatic Motorised Robots!' and where the majority seem to found today.
Pow-R-Trons USA/CA/UK/EU ERTL 1985
Released in window fronted boxes and on two variant blister cards; plain colour and cartoon art versions.
*While not confirmed it's likely the boxed releases were a UK / EU distribution due to the spelling of 'Motorised' in the tag line, 'Automatic Motorised Robots!' and where the majority seem to found today.
Pow-R-Trons UK/EU* ERTL 1985
Only released in the window fronted box shown and not on blister cards unlike the rest of the Pow-R-Trons that were released in both packaging formats.
*While not confirmed it's likely the boxed releases were a UK / EU distribution due to the spelling of 'Motorised' in the tag line, 'Automatic Motorised Robots!' and where the majority seem to found today. This could mean the Knight Rider version may not have been released in the US.
