Here is an image I happened across while looking for some headmasters information. I can't read what the language says. Is this taken from a Diaclone catalog?

If so, it is very interesting. Has anyone seen an optimus shoulder cannon before? It seems like an awful lot of extra work to make a bootleg if that is what it is (since the extension on the combat deck is entirely different). And it has the official logos, so I thought I would ask.

thats an diaclone catalog page
showing what must be an early Battle Convoy (Optimus Prime) Prototype.

cause battle convoy ended up basically the same as Prime

Does anyone have a higher res scan of this image or any more images?

I am really curious what that gun on his shoulder looks like. His hands appear to be the bulky ones, but the gun in his hand even looks different. The trailer is also shorter with a different closure.

I'd love to see this closer.

Also note the extended head antenna.

Extended? Hell he can probably pick up satellite on those things

OMG! the real one had shorter smokestacks! thats not fair, I want LONG stacks!

I just realized what gun that is that Optimus is holding. I had assumed that it was just a drawing and that it never was made. But it is a perfect match for the gun from the Trainbots Raiden. I was just looking around here and noticed it.

Now I just need to know if that shoulder gun was ever produced for something else.

you know I think you're right!

Thats pretty cool. I wonder how the super long antenna affected his transformation. they were removed obvously becuse they proababely made for a lot of breakage in drop testing (if they did such things back in the day)
I'm really digging on the trailer. its weard but i think I could get used to it. also I know this may sound odd but does the body of that convoy seem more boxy and squared off then the regular g1 prime. I dont know maybe its just the extra long smoke stacks..

I agree that it looks more squared off. The differences I see that I think are contributing to this are a couple of things.

I noticed that the front bumber is flat across the front and more rounded at the sides rather than having the angular ends with a slight slope that causes the figure to have more of a waist.

Then this figure is missing the silver stripe that is near the center of the cab. It makes the square appearance of even the production toy look less divided and more boxy.

And I am sure that it helps that the hands are the bloated/bulky variation rather than the smaller hands that most US Primes had.

It also appears that it has no real side windows.

you might want to pm remy about this too, he might've seen these or even have them.

That is sweet....wish prime looked like that when he was released in the us in transformers

I'm actually glad he got changed. Those extra long stacks and antenna just look stupid. And I agree, he does look more squared off, though I can't pick exactly why

i've seen this poster b4, this really diaclone convoy

Is it true that he was made completely out of die cast metal?

very cool stuff. Her looked like crap as a concept, glad they changed it.

WOW, that image or the first Battle Convoy is pure madness, bad ass picture.

Translation:
New Car Robot
Car Robo into Trailer (Mobile Headquarters)!!

Car Robot No.17 is a giant trailer. Changes from robot to machine-base! It also serves as a secret mobile Car Robot base.

As for the extended sharper bits - it wasn't just Battle Convoy, a lot of Diaclones had pointer bits that were blunted for safety reasons when they became Transformers.

For example, the Decepticon jets had sharp pointy plastic noses which became soft blunt rubber in their TF forms. The Dinobots also had pointier antennae too.

For a really good and concise web site with lots of info and photos of Diaclone figures, I recommend visiting Diaclone.net - the sound that you hear as you enter the site is the Diaclone TV ad jingle.

"Dia-clonnnnne!"

SHHHHH!!!  He can probably hear us too!

*runs and hides*