One of the great mysteries of the Diaclone toy line was the use or lack of box art.  I have here a list of what was shown on the box, and some (not all) of the variants with the TF used art. 

 

I think the leading theory was that the earlier toys used toy picts, while the later ones were given Artwork.  Here's the list:

 

 

List of Diaclone boxes with or with out ART

 

Transformer name of Diaclone Type of box art Variant Art?

 

Prowl Art Police

Bluestreak Art Classic Blue Used as TF art

Bluestreak Black hood Art Classic Blue

Smokescreen Art Smokescreen

Wheeljack Art Wheeljack

Marlboor Wheeljack Art Wheeljack

Jazz Toy Pict

Hound Art

Desert Hound Art (card)

Tracks Art TF blue version Yes variant

Tracks Red Art Red version, gun at different angle

Tracks Black Unknown

Skids Blue Art Blue

Skids Black Art Black

Skids Red Art Red

Skids Red 2 Art Red (same as first)

Skids Silver Duo pack Silver Art

Hoist TF version Art Green

Hoist Red Art red version

Hoist Blue Duo pack, Blue Art

Trailbreaker Black Art Black

Trailbreaker Blue Art Black

Trailbreaker Yellow Art Black

Inferno Art Yes Driver removed

Dinobots              Art

Insecticons          Art

Shockwave          Art, totally different than TF version

UltraMagnus       Art

Omnibots           Art

Power Dashers   Toy shots if any (model kits had Art)

Cassettes           Art

Soundwave        Art

Megatron           Art

Jets                   Art

Devestator         Art

Trainbots individual Art

Reflector            Art (of camera)

Blaster              Art, Blue version, different than TF version

Browning          Art, differnet than TF version

Road Buster + whirl  Art, different than TF version

 

Sideswipe Toy Pict Red

Sideswipe 2 Yellow Toy Pict RED used

Black Sideswipe Toy Pict

Police Sideswipe Toy Pict police

Red alert TF Art used

G2 Sideswipe G2 Art used

Stepper No Diaclone, original TF Art used

Sunstreaker Toy Pict Red

Sunstreaker 2 Red Toy Pict Red

Sunstreaker Police None

Mirage Toy Pict

Mirage 2 Lieger Toy Pict

Mirage Red Toy Pict

Ironhide Black Toy Black

Ironhide Red Toy Black

Ratchet None

Grapple Toy

Omega Supreme   Toy shot, Black version

Optimus Prime    Toy shot

Raiden               Toy pict

Seeing is more impressive to believe.  SO I have hand crafted this list of the cars and their variants...right down the the re-issues.   (no Jousta and Diakron not included)

 

I did this in order to try and get a better scope on what they did to change the original art and the TF versions.  (some boxes of course did not have any art, or even toy shots at all).

 

So I think for the first time anywhere, here are all the variants. down to the last 2 rows it goes TF version and then Diaclone.

 

(did I miss any?  If so PLEASE fee free to post a decent picture) 

 

Also, I need the 4th Beetras box art shot (the one not on the Beetras home page, if anyone happens to have a good shot of that).

 

Differences I noticed so far...

 

Smokescreen:  DATSUN writteon on the front bumper

Hoist: Color.  The gun arm is different heights.  Driver in windshield

Tracks:  Color.  The gun arm is different heights

Prowl:  Image is flipped

Hound:  Has Astro written on the bumper

Inferno:  Has driver in the windshield

G2 Inferno.  Left out the search for a picture since I thought they recycled the original...I was wrong.  Looks like they redid it a bit and flipped the image.