Optimus Prime Dodge Ram Alternator
By Hervé St-Louis
August 20, 2006 - 11:03
![]() |
I think that this decision, prompted by Takara, the Japanese manufacturer who produces the original moulds for the Transformers’ toys, is bad. This figure should not have been Optimus Prime. A better and suitable choice would have been Iron Hide, Hoist, Trailbreaker or Kup. They dubbed this figure Optimus Prime to ensure it would sell. Instead of staying true to the Alternator’s theme of producing characters that look like the originals from the first generation of Transformers, they have opted for a quick buck.
![]() |
Likeness
Optimus Prime has been a truck or a tank-like robot and even a small sports car in some incarnation. The Alternator mode is different from any other Optimus Prime toy or the classic look of the character with the wide torso formed from the cab unit of a trailer. Instead, Optimus is a pick up truck whose general look is similar to Trailbreaker. However, the marine blue and bright red colour scheme of the figure fits the classic look of the character. Optimus Prime’s head is also an exact replica of the familiar one used in the cartoon series and comic books.
Robot Mode Sculpt
![]() |
The lower body of Optimus Prime does use the truck’s part to better use, although they serve as outer shelves instead of actual body parts. The torso is the hood of the truck, but the front part of the hood does not integrate smoothly within the Transformer’s design. Again it hangs there and can be folded or not. The legs of Optimus Prime afford little mobility and look jam together even though the figure has knee articulations. You have to split the legs apart for it to stand up properly. I would have preferred a design where the legs were longer and not so packed.
![]() |
Car Mode Sculpt
The Dodge - SRT10 that designers used for Optimus Prime is the two door cab version. The sculpt is almost accurate to the real truck. One small detail is the divided lover air vents in the front of the truck. It’s a slick and nice car that looks aerodynamic and hides the Transformers’ parts very well. When showing the truck to people, they did not know it was a Transformer until told. I would have liked a hook and a rope allowing the truck to haul other alternators behind it.
Transformation
![]() |
![]() |
Although Optimus Prime’s tibias’ have parts that rotate vertically, it is easy to transform his legs. In fact that process was quick and did not require to read the transformation booklet. The transformation backward was fast, although the real hurdle at this point was in the fine touches. I could get the basic truck look right in less than ten minutes. However, adjusting all the parts was not simple. The problem was with fitting the hood properly and putting back the transforming engines, which are really Optimus Prime’s gun, back.
![]() |
Paint
Hasbro favours creating its figures in the base plastics with the original hues. The few painted parts were Optimus Prime’s head, his forearms, wheels’ caps, thighs and the top of the cab. There are a few decals al over the truck and some details, such as door handles, painted in black. Because the base plastic for most of the figure is red, the black paint is not thick enough to cover that. A little rubbing will cause the paint to fade. There were paint bleeds in Optimus’s face. The front bumper and top of the cab give of a metallic hue, while not been traditional car paints. Hasbro should have painted all the red parts of the truck this way as the colour clashes with the regular plastic.
Scale
![]() |
Stability
![]() |
Articulation
Like I mentioned above the knees’ articulations are limited with gears getting in the way. However, the figure’s head, shoulders, elbows, wrist, palms, waist, hips, thighs, knees, and ankles are articulated. The head and feet have ball joints. The figure is more articulated to than, thanks to his transforming mechanism, however, the hanging parts get on the way, making all the articulation useless.
Plastic
![]() |
Props
![]() |
Packaging
The figure comes in a bubble pack sitting on top of an empty cardboard box. The box is glued to the box forcing one to use scissors to open the package. Inside the box, is the transformation booklet. There are no stats or profiles on the cardboard or even promotional material inside the box. Hasbro should have put a leaflet about the other Transformers Alternators’ action figures. Larger pictures of the product in robot mode and in truck mode would have been welcomed. The booklet is not very clear in terms of transforming instructions.
Cost
![]() |
Availability
This figure was just released and is easy to find either in specialty stores, comic book stores ordering through Diamond Comics or other specialty online stores. The Binaltech version of this figure is in diecast metal.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Related Articles:
Bluefin Offers Transformers Optimus Prime Furai Model Kit
Optimus Prime
Robot Heroes: Optimus Prime and Ravage
20th Anniversary DVD Edition Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime Transformation Sequence
Optimus Prime Dodge Ram Alternator
Masterpiece Optimus Prime