Now this was one spectacular discovery. The European pre-Transformers "Jeep" by Ceji Joustra was released in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Scandinavia. Badged as "Diaclone", this pre-TF release was licensed by Takara in Japan for release throughout Europe in 1985 and features the toy that would later become the Transformers Autobot Scout "Hound". These European Joustra pre-TFs feature exclusive artwork of the Japanese pre-TF toys not seen anywhere else and exclusive character comics as well, both of which make this sub-section of pre-TFs stand out in a big way. Now by this stage you probably knew all this about the Ceji Joustra "Diaclones" already, so what's so spectacular about this Joustra Jeep? How about the fact that until the summer of 2006, a vast majority of the fandom never even knew that it existed!

The first wave or series of Ceji Joustra pre-TF releases consisted of the Diaclone Truck (pre-Prime), Ambulance (pre-Ratchet), Ligier (pre-Mirage), Porsche 935 (pre-Jazz), Toyota 4x4 (pre-Trailbreaker), Robocolt (pre-Browning), Caméra Robot (pre-Reflector), F15 (pre-Starscream), Multiforce 14, Trans-Am (pre-Windcharger), Truck (pre-Huffer), Pick Up (pre-Gears), Cheetah (pre-Brawn), Condor (pre-Laserbeak), Jaguar (pre-Ravage), Aragon, Cromar and Zetar (pre-Powerdashers) as well as a handful of non-TF Diaclone/MC items. With the exception of the Zetar, Cosmocar, and Diatrain from wave 1, these are the Joustra items that turn up relatively regularly. The second series of Ceji Joustra items are tremendously rare in comparison and almost never appear at all. In fact most have only surfaced for the first time within the last 12 months. These include a Joustra Fairlady Police (pre-Prowl), a Joustra Powered Convoy (pre-Ultra Magnus), a Joustra Lancia Stratos (pre-Wheeljack) and this Joustra Jeep (pre-Hound). The picture at the start of this article showcases the Joustra-specific artwork on the box front...or is THIS the box front?

While all the larger Joustra releases have the exclusive artwork that completely covers one side of the outer box, only the series 2 Joustra releases have a cellophane window showcasing the toy inside, as demonstrated by the above picture of the Joustra Jeep's box front...back...whatever! The grid pattern around the cellophane window is very reminiscent of the early G1 Transformers boxes, and that may well not be a coincidence at all because these second wave Joustras would have been released very close to the time of Transformers release in Europe. It is thought that this second wave was available in stores for a staggeringly short amount of time, possibly as little as three months. That would explain the rarity of series 2 Joustra toys and the scarcity with which they surface. Just as with series 1 Joustra toys, the box side containing the artwork also advertises the inclusion of a comic with the package, however no series 2 Joustra toy has been found with a comic as yet.

Regardless of the differences between this Joustra Jeep and the series 1 Joustra cars, one thing it has in common with those previous releases is that it looks divine in its unique packaging. It certainly warranted a sharp intake of breath on first viewing. Not only does it keep the strong Joustra flavour with the magnificent artwork, but it also brings in more of a vintage Diaclone feel with the cellophane window showing the toy next to a photograph. It also has a TF feel to it due to the grid pattern on the same side of the box. It just makes you ache to see all the other undiscovered series 2 Joustra toys out there, and trust me, there are more...

Above you can see firstly the top of the Joustra Jeep's box showing how the toy transforms, followed by the bottom of the Jeep's box which shows a picture of the accessories (minus the spare tyre), the product code (9658), copyright and safety information plus a blank white rectangle where the barcode should be! There have been a few layout changes here since series 1 Joustra. Originally, the series 1 Joustra cars had the transformation photographs on the bottom of the box, not the top. In addition to that, the copyright information, barcode and product details were on the back of the box, not the bottom. They have obviously been moved for series 2 Joustra packaging because the back now has the cellophane window/grid appearance whereas series 1 Joustra items just had stock photography on the box back. The "Diaclone" logo still appears on every side of the box.

As for why this Joustra Jeep has no barcode, I am unsure. The series 2 Joustra Fairlady Police has a barcode as does the Powered Convoy, so it's not common across all of series 2 Joustra. It could have something to do with the short time these items were available in stores, but I cannot say with any certainty. I do know that the other Joustra Jeep I have seen this year was also missing the barcode.

Just as with most series 1 Joustra packaging, the sides of this series 2 Joustra Jeep's box provide something of interest to note. You might notice that in the above robot mode picture, the figure has had his handgun attached to the underside of his right fist instead of into the hole on the top of his fist as it should be. This is the same picture which has been used on the box back with the cello window and grid pattern. The price tag on the other flap has a price in DM (Deutsche Mark), which means it was purchased in Germany at some point.

Here is a picture of the then-upcoming series 2 Jeep from a 1985 Ceji Revell dealer's catalog which features this release alongside a whole load of other series 2 Joustra pre-TFs, but we'll keep them quiet for now...

You can see that the "009658" product code in the above catalog scan matches the one on Joustra Jeep's box. If all the other characters featured in this catalog alongside Powered Convoy, Fairlady Police, Lancia Stratos and this Jeep saw release as I believe they did, there are still PLENTY of major shocks waiting to be discovered in this sub-section of pre-TFs.

Let's now compare this second series Jeep to a few of the first series cars in their packaging:

A breathtaking sight when placed together, these really are wonderfully presented toys which must have caught every child's eye back in the day. The artwork style of the Jeep is definitely in keeping with the other series 1 releases, yet the artists for the series 2 toys were no longer Paul and Gaetan Brizzi. The "Diaclone" logo on the Jeep's box is noticeably less prominent than on the series 1 boxes, yet the Ceji-Joustra logo appears slightly bigger.

Also notice how the Joustra Ambulance (Ratchet) has slightly different packaging dimensions to the rest.

As mentioned before, the series 2 Jeep has had its box layout changed slightly, so while the series 1 Ambulance, Ligier and Porsche are seen here with their box bottoms displayed, the Jeep is displaying the top of its box. Otherwise, it's the same theme showing how to transform the toy. It should be noted that no Joustra toys come with instruction sheets so this is all the help you get!

The first picture above shows the back of all the boxes. You can see that the series 1 Joustras have the same stock photography on the back alongside the barcode, product data and copyright information. The series 2 Jeep box back has the grid/window layout.

The second picture above has been included so that you can see the lack of barcode on the Jeep's box compared to the barcodes on the series 1 boxes.

This picture above has the series 1 Joustras displaying their box tops, and the Jeep displaying the bottom of its box. All the accessories included are on show here (again, minus Jeep's tyre) with the other differences noted above. The layout changes on Jeep's box explain why it is not shown in robot mode alongside its accessories, a casualty of forced layout requirements owing to the cello/grid addition.

Now for a comparison of the side flaps:

Pretty uniform stuff here, except the fact that the Porsche is still the only one with black writing on the side flaps. Could it be because the robot mode pic takes up so much space that the "Porsche 935" text had to be moved below his arm, and no longer written in white because it wouldn't show up in that lighter section of the flap? A stretch, for sure.

This final comparison picture shows yet another difference between the series 1 and series 2 box layouts. The sideflap to the right of the series 1 artwork shows the robot mode, but the series 2 sideflap to the right of the artwork shows the vehicle mode. This is consistent with other series 2 Joustra cars as well. Maybe the display emphasis was shifted from the artwork to the grid/window side for series 2?

Anyway, on to some history...

The first official incarnation of the Jeep mould was of course the Takara Diaclone Car Robot No.12 J59 Jeep, released in Japan during June 1983 and based on the Mitsubishi J59 vehicle. The Diaclone J59 was one of the last car robots to have artwork on the box front as Takara went through a small patch of using only toy photography on box fronts shortly afterwards. The Japanese J59 packaging features a nice beachfront theme for the packaging on the whole but there isn't any more artwork on the box other than the main art which was later adapted for Transformers Hound packaging. Again, I would have to say that I find the Joustra artwork of the Jeep more appealing than the Takara Diaclone presentation, as much as I do like the beach motif. The inclusion of the Diaclone driver is unique to the Japanese J59 Jeep as neither the Joustra nor the later GiG J59 were packaged with a driver. Speaking of the 1984 GiG release of the J59...

Distributed in Italy by GiG under license from Takara in Japan, the N.3 Fuoristrada J59 sported a few differences to its Japanese counterpart. First of all, the picture of the Diaclone driver was removed from the box front as were the Real & Robo and Japanese Car Robot logos, replaced with "Trasformer" and "Auto Robot". Looking at the insert, the styro space for the driver is empty and the thin styrofoam section that kept the bottom of the toy and the missile sprue separate has been removed in order to successfully house the larger Italian safety-conscious bopper missles. The Italian Jeep mould would be similar if not identical to a pre-rubsign Transformers Hound (with Takara + dates stamping). The stickersheet for both Japanese and Italian releases would have been the same and can be seen here:

There are a number of things here that set this stickersheet aside from a TF Hound stickersheet. First of all, only the pre-TF Jeeps had "Astron 2000 J59" on some stickers, and if you look at stickers 17 and 18 you can see "JL" and "59". Finally, sticker 8 has a big red "J" in the centre of the star, TF Hound stickers never had that. Stickers 1 and 9 also do not exist on TF Hound stickersheets. It should also be noted that the Diaclone releases of the J59 were never available in any other colour scheme but green. In fact this mould was not recoloured until the E-Hobby exclusive release of the desert-styled beige/pink Junkion "Detritus".

Going back to the much more 'alive' artwork of the Joustra Jeep, this particular release features art for the vehicle mode as well as the robot mode on the box front. As attractive as it is, this second series artwork seems slightly less detailed and well-finished as the series 1 art, and that is definitely noticeable on other series 2 Joustra packages. Yet this Jeep's art is still pretty funky and is very true to the Joustra flavour. Plus it is always nice to see different art for characters and toys we've known intimately for decades, especially if the artwork was actually done at a time before most of us had ever even known "Hound".

The insert layout is exactly the same for the Joustra Jeep as it was for the Japanese Diaclone with no styro removed for the accomodation of larger safety missiles. The Joustra features the same accessories as the Japanese Diaclone with the major exception of the Diaclone driver. Sadly, this Joustra Jeep did not have its stickersheet with it, although the stickersheet should be exactly the same as the above Diaclone one (hence the "Astron 2000 J59" stickers), but instead of the Japanese logo in the top left corner, it would have the "Diaclone" logo seen on the Joustra packaging as well as a stickermap on the back of the stickersheet.

So undeniably recogniseable, the vehicle mode for this figure is well-proportioned and the abundance of chrome adds considerably to the overall appearance. As with the recent Alternators and Binaltech lines, the addition of this military vehicle was probably a much needed departure from the proven sportscar formula for the Joustra cars. The rear-mounted gun is a wonderful feature and unlike a lot of the other vehicles of this era of Transformers, the Joustra Jeep/Hound mould has many accessories attached in vehicle mode.

The pre-TF only "Astron 2000 J59" stickers can be seen clearly in the above photographs. These stickers are carried over from the Diaclone stickersheets and since the Joustra toys were marketed as pre-Tfs, not Transformers, they feature the same stickers. Also the stock photography on the packaging is of the Japanese Diaclone. This Jeep looks very striking and impressive from many angles and I could have continued shooting it from different elevations etc. There are lots of nice touches like the chrome engine, the headlights, the gas can, the "Jeep" bumper stickers and so on. Here are close-up photos of some of the standout features:

As previously mentioned, the copyright stamping on this Joustra Jeep is the same as that found on a pre-rubsign 1984 Transformers Hound. The Diaclone from Japan would have had "TAKARA JAPAN" only for a stamping. You can see the Joustra stamping here, underneath the chest:

Later rubsign-mould Transformers Hounds would have Hasbro markings in addition to the above, and reissue Hound has China stampings.

Here is the Joustra Jeep in robot mode:

This figure has always looked a little short in robot mode and a little static as well due to the highly limited arm movement afforded him by his chest and shoulders. Slightly better defined shoulders and further leg extension may have done the robot mode more favours. Also, the large number of visble stickers in this mode give it a slightly busy appearance.

However, add some accessories...

...and he comes alive in a big way. Suddenly his proportions start to make more sense and he looks an impressive robot indeed. With a considerable number of accessories adding to his appearance in both modes, there would have been plenty of play value to this toy for any child back when it was released. With all of his weapons attached, he looks formidable from the front, side or the back.

This figure has always had a very benevolent look to his robot head and face, and it gives him a distinct personality in my opinion. A personality that was very well reflected in Transformers Hound's cartoon character. Compare this with the look on the Joustra Jeep's face on his boxart and it's a completely different story! it's very hard to imagine Hound sporting such an aggressive look...

Here's a close-up picture of the Joustra Jeep's accessories:

As with most of the Diaclone-era cars, there is plenty of chrome on the accessories which must be treated with care, lest they become victims of some awful chrome wear. This toy has significantly more accessories than many of the other Diaclone car robots. The missiles fire extraordinarily far from the launcher on this Joustra release, and yet the toy is rated as suitable for children aged 3 years and up. As we all know, Hasbro soon sorted that out!

Here is the Joustra Jeep alongside a Transformers Hound in robot mode:

The differences between the two are going to be almost entirely sticker-related with the Joustra having the "J59" themed labels on show and no Autobot stickers.

Time for a customary minor, but highly scenic detour. Here are some images from the patent for the mould:

Some truly spectacular scans from the September 1985 Japanese TV Magazine:

A Hound animation model cel:

The transformation sequence from the breathtaking MTMTE animators' bible:

Paul Vromen's full-size uncropped artwork for this piece:

Finally, some screen grabs from "More Than Meets The Eye", in which Hound featured heavily with his memorable hologram-conjuring antics and courage:

The Ceji Joustra series 2 Jeep represents a small peek into the wonders that lie just out of reach of the known universe of pre-Transformers. I have a very good idea of what was available in the second wave of Ceji Joustra "Diaclone" toys, but there is absolutely no substitute for the amazement, shock and excitement generated when one of these never-seen-before Joustras comes around due to the exclusive artwork they all must feature.

The superb hybrid-style presentation of this awesome item maintains a huge amount of classic Joustra character while acknowledging the Diaclone roots and the Transformers future of the mould, and is a huge success as a result with multiple effective display possibilities. Sadly, as with all series 2 Joustra toys, the intense rarity of this piece may well ensure that it could be years before a specimen surfaces with the stickersheet included. Having said that though, there were 2 on eBay within a couple of months of each other (of which this is one) having never appeared before to my knowledge.

Once again, as with all the other Joustra Pre-TFs I have reviewed, I would select this over any other incarnation of the mould to own. I will never forget the feelings it stirred in me when I saw the exclusive artwork for the first time. This is a tremendously frustrating area of the TF universe to try and document due to the difficulty in finding, and obtaining (!) complete samples. But it is, ultimately, completely worth it...

Immense thanks to Paul Hitchens for the DVD screen-grabs, the TV Magazine scans, the patent images, animators' bible scan, the model cel and catalog scans. Additional thanks to Ben Munn and Jeroen Blok for very kindly allowing the use of their Diaclone and GiG J59 Jeep images respectively. "Article from zero to hero!" indeed ;)

All the best
Maz@tf-1.com