Buggy Robo (Buggyman)

Review by JoshB

Was there a more ubiquitous bootleg toy in the early 80s than a Machine Robo knockoff? It seemed as soon as Gobots hit the streets, you could find their cheaper counterparts at dime stores, flea markets, and discount shops everywhere. It seemed as if the bootlegs at the time were limited to just a few models of the early Gobots. As the 80s went on, there were fewer bootlegs domestically, but they were around here and there.

This toy and packaging should be familiar to anyone who was into these toys at the time. Simply labeled Diecast Robot Car, you could find one of three kinds in the box:

• Buggy
• Truck
• Dozer

In this case, we get a bootleg of MR-08 Buggy Robo (aka Buggyman from the Gobots).

It’s not a terrible bootleg, and the color is pretty much the same. Diecast content is the same, and it still has the folding window and rubber tires.

As with all bootlegs though, the devil is in the details. The rubber tires have lots of extra “flash” on them, and the paint apps to the body are imprecise. There’s also a small sticker in the center that is missing, and the 08 sticker on the feet now has a yellow background.

This matchbox-sized transforming robot is simple, although some may say boring. To me it’s all about nostalgia for the design of the time. I love these early PLEX designs, and even though it’s a bootleg I think it holds up well.

Thanks to Ben for the hookup on this. I love it.