Palitoy Landspeeder vs. Kenner Landspeeder

[Fishtalk]

Does anyone know or have an idea why the Palitoy Landspeeder lacks the opening bonnet that the Kenner version has?
I always assumed something to do with manufacturing costs or safety issues, but it's always bugged me. At least with the Land of the Jawas playset we got a free Jawa to make up for the missing escape pod.

 

[Simply Sci-fi]

I get the impression that Palitoy didn't want to go to the expense of releasing Star Wars toys that were as functional as the Kenner versions. Kenner was much newer to the toy market and with their experience of the complex Six Million Dollar Man line, they packed the same level of functionality into the Star Wars toys.

Palitoy probably thought that it could sell just as many units to the U.K market using much simpler and cheaper to produce designs than the Kenner ones (Action Man toys for instance did not have complex inner workings). So out went the Landspeeder's opening bonnet, the Droid factory's crane, the X-Wing's light and sound, the Cantina's inner workings, along with the inner workings and escape pod of The Land of the Jawas.

Palitoy may have judged correctly that children like to manipulate action figures themselves during play and make all of the appropriate sounds – making the gadgetry of the Kenner versions entirely pointless. It doesn't excuse the beautiful escape pod being left out of The Land of the Jawas though – a truly great item.

Well, this is my theory anyway.

Craig.

 

[poncho]

came across a landspeeder today...
not having seen one in real life before. it had no bonet i thought it had , a gear shift and wheels that popped out. is this a palitoy landspeeder? whats a loose one worth?

 

[jackabina]

£12 - £15 roughly.

 

[theslider]

I get the impression that Palitoy didn't want to go to the expense of releasing Star Wars toys that were as functional as the Kenner versions. Kenner was much newer to the toy market and with their experience of the complex Six Million Dollar Man line, they packed the same level of functionality into the Star Wars toys.

Palitoy probably thought that it could sell just as many units to the U.K market using much simpler and cheaper to produce designs than the Kenner ones (Action Man toys for instance did not have complex inner workings). So out went the Landspeeder's opening bonnet, the Droid factory's crane, the X-Wing's light and sound, the Cantina's inner workings, along with the inner workings and escape pod of The Land of the Jawas.

Palitoy may have judged correctly that children like to manipulate action figures themselves during play and make all of the appropriate sounds – making the gadgetry of the Kenner versions entirely pointless. It doesn't excuse the beautiful escape pod being left out of The Land of the Jawas though – a truly great item.

Well, this is my theory anyway.

Craig.

I thought it was a question of economics - without all the 'bells and whistles' the toys would be cheaper to produce and therefore a cheaper profit margin. Best examples of this are the Star Wars playsets as they are made of cheaper plastic than the Kenner ones.