Machine Robo DX

Machine Robo DX, later known as ScaleRobo DX, was an assortment of Machine Robo figures issued by Popy and later Bandai. Made of painted diecast zinc alloy and ABS plastic, the figures stood around 5-6 inches tall in robot mode and featured highly detailed vehicle modes, comparable to Takara's Diaclone Car Robot series, which was released at around the same time by Takara.

The sole Popy release in 1982 was based on the Psychoroid, a vehicle from the anime Space Adventure Cobra, with an invented robot mode. The Machine Robo branding was likely used to differentiate the release from Popy's Popynica line of licensed TV vehicles that generally avoided taking such creative licence. This figure retailed at ¥2200. After Bandai took over the line in 1983 the ScaleRobo stuck to contemporary vehicles, and retailed at ¥1800 each. For the final two releases the name was changed from Machine Robo DX to Scale Robo DX. All seven of the ScaleRobo figures were issued as Super GoBots by Tonka in America, as DX Robo Machine by Bandai themselves in Europe and as Super Machine Men in Australia.

Packaging

The figures featured a different packaging ethos to the Machine Robo Series, featuring boxes that greatly emphasised the detail of the vehicle mode and more sober, conventional instructions. They also featured sticker sheets, allowing some scope for personalisation of the figures.

Toys

• 

  MR-DX01
  Psychoroid

• 

  MR-DX02
  Fairlady 280 Z

• 

  MR-DX03
  Porsche 928 S

• 

  MR-DX04
  Leopard A4

• 

  MR-DX05
  Volkswagen 1303S Beetle

• 

  MR-DX06
  Saladin Mk. II

• 

  MR-DX07
  Porsche 930 Turbo

Notes

• The individual Machine Robo DX/ScaleRobo DX figures lacked the "Robo" suffix of other Machine Robo figures and did not feature in any of the line's fiction. This, combined with their more adult-orientated packaging and higher price suggests they were intended simply as Machine Robo puzzle toys or models as opposed to part of the early Romulos versus Devil Invader mythos.
• Some plans were made to continue the range, branching out into aircraft with a Lockheed Blackbird and Saab Viggen planned. While the former made it as far as the concept stage the concept was eventually abandoned.
• While the figures are famous for their odd use of car roofs as heads, early concept art for the series was even weirder...