ULTRASAURUS RED
Here it is ! The Zoid that is the very first to my heart, the ultimate one, and maybe the most sought after one.
Let's
do a little Ultrasaurus Red summary.
Ultrasaurus Red
is seen in a Tomy official catalog, in 1987 (the photo above), the same year
than Red Scavenger and Zabre. Some persons saw it in this catalog and waited a
lot, but it was never released in France, nether in Germany or another
european country (at least, it is what was beleived at this time, and very late
after). After, when I was speaking of this Zoid, nobody seems to have ever
heard of it. It is only in 2000 that I met someone who has also seen this Zoid :
Dominic Smith. He knew the photo, and he also remembered seeing it in a TV
advert (in which was also seen a black european Deathsaurus), but never in shop.
The same year, Dom made his UK site and put online the 1987 photo.
A lot of
interrogations were occuring between the Zoidfans, but the conclusion was that
this red Ultrasaurus never came out anywhere, and that there was no really hope to have to
find one. All the mention of this Zoid that could be found on the web or
elsewhere came from persons who where knowing this Zoid because they saw the
1987 photo. Even Leo Shop made a chrome
one, identical to the photo.
It is only in 2003 that in one month, three different events happended about this Zoid. First, there was two pieces in a lot that seems belong to him. After buying the lot, I discovered that they were repainted. Repainted as if it was for the Red, but repainted.
During the same
time, I saw an ad of someone in UK searching this Zoid. After speaking with him,
I realize he was knowing Ultrasaurus Red because he saw it in shop during the
eighties. And just after appeared the incomplete Ultrasaurus Red on ebay, which
was sold right away to-we-don’t-know-who. It was the first time this Zoid was
seen, we got some photos
of it and of the instructions
booklet. No photo of the box, but we know that we can see on it Redhorn, Red
Scavenger, Ultrasaurus Red and maybe Zabre or Shield Tiger (I think it should be
Zabre, in 1987, Shield Tiger was not released).
So the fact is
that it was released, in UK (and probably only in UK), with some differences
with the prototype (black neck instead of red and red canopy instead of brown).
There was also a contest where you can win one during the same period.
This
Zoid was also seen in the countries around UK. In 2004, a toys dealer in France
told me they use to have it 3 or 4 years ago, bought in Spain
to someone from UK. The second time we can tell this Zoid was somewhere around
us.
A friend of mine send me this photo of parts from an Ultrasaurus. Those were found among OER UK parts, so there is chance that they come from an Ultrasaurus Red. But as you can see, they can also come from a japanese black one. The thing that can make us think that they are from a Red, is that they were found in UK, in a OER lot, without parts from other Zoids series. And they can't be from a Zoids2, because the Zoids2 has a grey light cable, and not a black. Only the japanese Ultrasaurus and the red has a black.
An Ultrasaurus Red could be seen on the internet since 2004, this one. It is a custom, made like the one of the auction (thanks Andy).
April 2007, another item of it is spotted, always in UK. There was some wondering about his reality, and we learnt just after it was a painted model. The funny thing is that it has the "5" stickers on the legs, and the red insigna at the same place than the one of the auction. Why was it done like that ? All the photos here. An information that could be taken from those photos : the stickers on this one, and on the 2003 one are not from Ultrasaurus. On the OER Zoids that were changing colours, the stickers remained the same (appart for the insignas), but not on this one. It is in both case Red Scavenger stickers that were used. Why those stickers were used ?
May 2009, I received a message telling me that Ultrasaurus Red, with Deathsaurus, were both released as promo items, to around 20 units each, in a white box, like the Ghost Zoids. Unfortunatly, I don't have a picture for that.
Now, what will be next… ?
No need to tell that if you have any info on this Zoid, contact me and it will be a pleasure to add the news here. By the way, I made my custom of Ultrasaurus Red, in 2000, here is a photo.