Gearhead is anAutobotGo-Bot from theGeneration 1 continuity family.

Gearhead is a stock car on the outside, and anAutobot warrior engineered for fighting on the inside. It's hard to say which half of his nature he enjoys more. Upon his arrival on the planetEarth he entered the professional racing circuit. Obviously confident in the power source beneath his titanium-plated hood, he proudly informs his opponents that if they race him, they'll lose. Gearhead is always anxious for the checkered flag, yet his desire for combat with theDecepticons has not diminished. In fact, a call to arms will send him speeding to the battlefield at speeds even higher than those he reaches on the racetrack.

He might have abrother namedGreasepit.^[1]

Fiction

Wings Universe

Gearhead and the Go-Bots were part of the "second generation" of Transformers created on Earth in the 21st century, using a combination of human,Nebulan, and Cybertronian sciences. He became an Autobot working forPyro when the new Transformers inevitably started to battle amongst themselves. In 2010, Gearhead and the Go-Bots arrived in Switzerland to assistRapido's team against the Decepticons after Pyro was captured. They fought alongsideScorch against the massive Decepticon,Double Punch.Generation 2: Redux

Unite Warriors

Gearhead, with other Autobots, oversaw an attempt to wipe theCombatrons'Destronger programming. However, before they could be reprogrammed,Unicron interrupted the process and whisked away the Combatrons.Ruination Chapter, Part One

Toys

Generation 2

• Gearhead (Go-Bot, 1995)

• Accessories: Rifle
• Known designers:Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Part of the first assortment of Generation 2Go-Bots, Gearhead transforms into aNASCAR-styleFord Thunderbird stock car with through-axle tires, making him largely compatible with "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" playsets and tracks.

He was also released in the second assortment, but the clear-plastics of hisrobot mode were replaced with opaque plastics using the same general colors (the clear-colorless plastic turned to opaque silver), due to thegang-molding process that saw changes to his wave-mates.

This mold wasredecoed to make the Go-Bots version ofSoundwave,2001Robots in DisguiseSpychangerW.A.R.S., andUniverseCamshaft. It was slated to be used for theGo-Bots Racing Rig pilotGreasepit, but this toy was ultimatelynever released.

• More information on Gearhead at TFU.info

Notes

• Gearhead's card-art mistakenly gives himHigh Beam's rifle.
• Though most of the Go-Bots were never released in Japan, Gearhead did gain a Japanese name via aBotCon Japan 1997exclusiveposter, which featured bios for all of the newGeneration 2 characters released in the U.S. who weren't part of the Japanese line: theAxelerators, theSkyscorchers,Rotor Force, four of the Go-Bots, and theColor Changers.
• The trademark "Gearhead" was later almost used for theKre-O Autobot ultimately namedRoadhound.

Foreign names

• Japanese:Gearhead (ギアヘッドGiaheddo)
• French:Turbo-Stockcar (France/Belgium),Engrenage (Canada)
• Italian:Ariete

References