Pow-R-Trons - Knight Rider - 1985 - vintage

Pow-R-Trons by ERTL

'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. This is the toy on offer. It is in good players wirh condition. Its mechanism is in perfect working order. All stickers have been removed.

For collection from the old Navan Road , Castleknock, Dublin 15 or posting at cost.