Brazilian Yellow Sedan (Bumbejumper)

BRAZILIAN YELLOW SEDAN (BUMBLEJUMPER)

The yellow Brazilian Sedan was Estrela's equivalent of Bumblejumper. It was part of the second series of minibots released in Brazil, Optimus vs Malignus. So in fact, this is the Yellow Optimus Sedan. Usually when I write about a minibot there's something pretty different about it. Either it's from a country previously unassociated with Transformers or there is a huge colour/moulding variation compared to the standard Transformers release. This yellow Sedan however qualifies simply because it is so rare and somewhat under-documented, not to mention part of the Optimus vs Malignus line which garners so much interest from minibot collectors. Otherwise, it's almost the same visually as the US Bumblejumper. Almost.

This mould was released in Brazil in the Robocar toyline initially in white and in blue having already been available in the US as a yellow TF and in Japan as a red, light blue and yellow Microchange toy. Then when Optimus vs Malignus hit in Brazil, the toy was also available in green alongside this yellow release. It's the green version of the Optimus vs Malignus Sedan that is the seriously sought after one, yet this could be equally as rare.

This Sedan sports the highly distinctive Optimus faction symbol on its roof just as the Carrera (Cliffjumper) and Volks (Bumblebee) moulds do. It's the faction symbol that really sets this release apart from the US Bumblejumper and gives it a tangibly separate identity.

As with a few of the Optimus vs Malignus releases, the sticker on the back of the robot headplate is unique. It is also different to the sticker used on the Optimus Green Sedan which you can see here:

If you look at the pictures below, you will notice that the tyres do not say "Dunlop" on them, a typical South American minibot characteristic.

The moulding is of a lower quality than the US Bumblejumper and if you were to put them side by side, that would be clear. The stickers and copyright, however, are what will distinguish it immediately. In fact, in the case of this Yellow Sedan, the presence and condition of the stickers are more important than for any other Optimus vs Malignus release because this is the only minibot in the line to not have a markedly different colour scheme to a Transformers counterpart.

Strangely, I tend to find that the Sedan mould almost always has tight joints compared to the Brazilian Cliffjumper and Bumblebee moulds I have owned and reveiwed in the past. This Yellow Sedan was no exception.

As you can see, the Optimus faction symbol is a huge part of the robot mode's personality and it looks very good on this particular toy. These minibots really are a fantastic extension to the Transformers universe and collectors do warm to them very quickly indeed.

The moulding on the head is slightly better than that found on the Volks (Bumblebee) mould but the paint application is not quite precise, however it does not affect the toy's appeal or display value very much at all.

The copyright for the Optimus yellow Sedan is, as expected, Estrela stamped and manufactured in Brazil:

This is far from being the most interesting or valuable of the Brazilian minibots, and not many collectors actually realise it's one of the real rarities of the line. As with all of these toys, carded examples are practically non-existent. I've certainly not seen any. This is almost certainly one for completists as most will be satisfied with the yellow MC or TF version of the mould and the increased quality that comes with that, but for those who hunger for a complete Optimus vs Malignus run, Yellow Sedan is high on the priority list and is far rarer than the more desireable and 'interesting' white and blue Brazilian versions. Credit and respect where it is due.