This is the original sculpt of Rollbar, the Autobot Throttlebot. The use of a wood sculpt was reserved for easy shapes that could be done by wood, while clay and wax could be used for the actual figures with multiple parts and protrusions etc. It is also easier to place details and make them more precise.
By looking at the Throttlebots, you can see that Takara started with the vehicle mode first. Making it realistic looking while the robot mode was meager. To sculpt the piece out of wood and detail it would be easier than sculpting it with clay and wax. One could attach other sculpted parts to the main wood pattern. Then a epoxy mold is created from the pattern, which then makes a urethane copy. This copy is then placed into a pantograph which can cut a exact duplicate into steel, creating the final mold. This process is the way Kenner did it around the same time, and is probably the way Hasbro did theirs.
Collection of: Anonymous
Paragraph: Alex Bickmore
Photos: Anonymous
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