The Transformers Hot PANTS Go-Cart!

THEY NEVER MET THE EYE!

The Hot Rod go-cart is probably the most well known Transformers artifact that doesn't exist. It was a contest prize that all 80s Transformers collectors are familiar with but few if any have ever seen. Valued at $2,500 1986 dollars and only 5 in existence, it was the top prize in the "Decipher the Decepticon" contest promotion that ran briely during 1986. Entry forms were included with boxed Transformers and these five grand prize go carts are all but a myth. But as it turns out, there was another Transformers go-cart giveaway from the same time period that is possibly rarer and even less known! AND TO WIN IT YOU HAD TO TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS!


THE OTHER TRANSFORMERS GO-CART CONTEST PRIZE FROM 1986

Newspaper ads from August of 1986 contain evidence of another Transformers promotional go-cart contest prize. This one was also given away within a few weeks of the Transformers: The Movie's theatrical release in early August 1986 but instead of being a raffle with millions of potential entries, these entry forms were only available to people who tried on a pair of Lee jeans at the retail department store Gayfers.



I'M GAYFERS STARSCREAM

The giveaway was done during the '86 southeastern states leg of the Starscream costume performer in store appearances. In late July / early August the 'Meet a Transformer' appearances featuring Starscream ran through Alabama into Georgia and then Florida. On August 10th an ad was run in the Mobile, Alabama paper announcing Starscream's upcoming appearances at the Jubilee and Springdale Gayfers stores on August 11th and 13th. And in that ad is a reference made to a Transformers go-cart prize where all you have to do is try on a pair of Lee jeans to register. So yeah, you had to take off your pants for a shot at this particular piece of Transformers merchendise. Some ads included black and white illlustrations which were the only clue as to what the go-cart looked like. but it's not much of a looker so keep your pants on.

MY FAVORITE TRANSFORMERS CONTINUITY IS GAYFERS ADS

The illustration does not look like a traditional go-cart, instead resembling a very Trailbreaker like 4 wheel drive camper truck. It had the Transformers logo prominently emblazoned along the passenger side and a 'Lee' logo painted on the hood. It's more of a combined promotion than an outright Transformers based one. There were several other ads run with varying Starscream and go-cart depictions. Some ads contained Starscream bio snippets. One ad in Tampa Bay, Florida on August 22nd had a more line art style drawing of the go-cart that gave a better feel for the overall shape of it. No ad gave any details as to how many go-cart prizes there were or when they would be raffled, but the important thing is they let you know Starscream can fly at 'Mac 2.8'.

The Transformers / Lee jeans go-cart is nowhere near as well known as the Hot Rod 'Decipher the Decepticon' go-cart but they might have some things in common . Just like the Hot Rod go-cart, no actual pictures of the Hot Pants go-cart have ever actually surfaced. Could the Hot Rod go-cart just be a differently painted Hot Pants go cart? As a kid I always imagined the Hot Rod go-cart would have resembled the Hot Rod character from the animated movie, but given the realities of toy production and promotion I would not be surprised if it was just a redecoed magenta Trailbreaker-looking ride on.

OUT OF THE WAY, HOT PANTS!

I haven't been able to find any other references to the Transformers Hot Pants go-cart giveaway and so I am left intrigued. An in-store Starscream appearance during the same month TF:TM debuted seemed like perfect timing and opportunity to give away a true Hot Rod shaped go-cart with flames on the hood and movie logos. But instead we seem to have gotten Trailbreaker with a Lee jeans logo instead of flames. It just seems so odd. I am left speculating that maybe the real Hot Rod go-kart may be something like this truck but with flames instead of Lee's logo on the hood. How disappointing would that be? I guess we'll never know. If you or someone you know has one of these rotting away in your Alabama attic please let me know! Also if you don't have one but you took off your pants in 1986 for a chance to win a Transformer go-cart I'd love to hear that story, too!