TF3 Wreckers weren't the only one-off real-life race car decos

[griffin]

Real life decos of generic cars are fun to see on the streets, but when there is a Transformers toy done based on a one-off race car, it can sorta have you thinking that it really is the actual Transformers character racing around the circuit (like the NASCAR races that are on most evenings, which often has the cars replicated by the DOTM "Wreckers" competing).

Now, for Generation One, in the first couple years of Transformers, Jazz was one that recently surfaced as being based on a real actual race car (from a car auction earlier this year)... and I think this fan article was inspired by that news. It shows us some photos and info of the "real" Jazz, Wheeljack, Mirage and Smokescreen cars.

I had always thought they were just random decos and numbers on those Autobots, but now I'm amazed that those (Diaclone) Transformers copied an actual specific race car.

(Demonac showed me the link, but since he didn't post it here, I thought it would be worth sharing)

[Tober]

Kinda obvious, but the Binaltech BT-01 and BT-07 Subaru WRXs were based on actual competing rally cars. Two decos each = four in total

[Meangreen]

I had always thought they were just random decos and numbers on those Autobots, but now I'm amazed that those (Diaclone) Transformers copied an actual specific race car.

When I first encountered Transformers that was one of the things that drew me in. I knew what teams and livery's each of the autobot racers were due to my fathers interest in motorsport. I always thought Wheeljack's Alitalia Airline strip was very memorable. Even Drag-Strip is a legitimate F1 car, just not in the right colours. I guess it just never occurred to me that others wouldn't know this kind of thing off-hand.

It is a slight worry of mine though that when they come to do more of the masterpiece Autobot cars they may run into some legality issues with the racing strip sponsors and have to fudge things even more than the cutesy misspelling on the original releases.

[UltraMarginal]

I don't have a link to hand but even the prime wheeljack is based heavily on a concept lancia stratos of the modern day.