I’ve been collecting Transformers merchandise since I was eight years old. I’m thirty-four now. The collection has evolved considerably over that time — from the original action figures I had as a child, through the movie tie-in toys, to the diecast vehicle models that I’ve been focusing on for the past three years. The diecast vehicles are the part of the collection I’m most serious about: properly scaled, properly detailed replicas of the vehicles from the films, displayed on a dedicated shelf in my home office.
The Western Star 5700 XE Phantom — the truck form of Optimus Prime in Transformers: The Last Knight — had been the gap in my collection for two years. The Jada Toys 1:24 scale version filled it, and it’s now the centrepiece of the shelf.
Why the Western Star Was the Gap
My diecast collection focuses on the vehicle forms of the main Autobots across the film series. I have the Peterbilt 379 from the first film, the Western Star 4900 from Age of Extinction, and several others. The Western Star 5700 XE from The Last Knight — the sleek, more aggressive redesign of Optimus Prime’s truck form — is one of the most visually distinctive vehicles in the franchise. The blue and red colour scheme, the chrome details, the aggressive cab design. It’s the version that looks most like a vehicle that could plausibly transform into something.
I’d been looking for a 1:24 scale version specifically because that’s the scale my collection is built around. 1:24 is large enough to show genuine detail — you can see the panel lines, the chrome trim, the cab interior — without being so large that it dominates the shelf. Finding a 1:24 version of the 5700 XE that was properly detailed rather than a simplified toy had taken longer than I’d expected.
Why the Jada Toys Version Specifically
Jada Toys is the brand that serious diecast collectors in the film vehicle space trust. They have the official Transformers licence, which means the proportions and details are accurate to the actual vehicle used in production rather than approximated. That matters for a collection that’s built around accuracy.
The Jada Toys Transformers Western Star 5700 XE Phantom 1:24 Diecast is a proper diecast model rather than a plastic toy — the cab and main body are diecast metal, which gives it the weight and solidity that distinguishes a collector-grade model from a toy. The plastic components — the windows, some trim pieces — are used where appropriate rather than throughout, which is the right approach for a model at this scale.
The blue and red colour scheme is accurate to the film vehicle — the deep blue of the cab, the red accents, the chrome trim. The paint quality is good for a production diecast at this price point: consistent coverage, no visible runs or thin patches, the chrome elements properly bright rather than dull.
I found it in the Toys and Toys & Games collections. It arrived three days after ordering.
First Impressions — Out of the Box
The model arrived in the Jada Toys display box — a window box that shows the model without requiring you to open the packaging, which is the right approach for a collector item. I opened it anyway, because I wanted to hold it.
The weight was the first thing I noticed. Diecast metal has a satisfying heft that immediately communicates quality — this is not a light, hollow toy. The cab is solid, the doors open and close smoothly, the steering wheels turns. The level of detail on the cab interior — the dashboard, the seats — is better than I’d expected at this price point.
I put it on the shelf between the Peterbilt and the 4900. It looked exactly right — the right scale, the right presence, the right level of detail to sit alongside the other models without looking out of place. The gap in the collection was filled.
Six Months On — The Honest Verdict
The model has been on the shelf for six months. Here’s the honest report:
- The paint has not chipped or faded. Six months on a display shelf, handled occasionally, dusted regularly. The blue and red are as vivid as they were out of the box. The chrome elements are still bright.
- The diecast construction is holding up. No warping, no loosening of the moving parts, no degradation of the plastic components. The doors still open and close smoothly. The model feels as solid as it did on day one.
- It’s the model visitors notice first. The Western Star 5700 XE is the most visually distinctive vehicle in my collection — the aggressive cab design and the blue and red colour scheme draw the eye immediately. Every visitor to my office asks about it first.
- The 1:24 scale is right for the shelf. Large enough to show the detail properly, proportioned correctly alongside the other models. The scale consistency across the collection is what makes it look like a collection rather than a random assortment of models.
- The detail rewards close inspection. The cab interior, the exhaust stacks, the panel lines on the bodywork — the detail is there when you look for it. That’s what distinguishes a collector-grade model from a toy.
The Difference It’s Made
The collection feels complete. That’s the honest summary. The Western Star 5700 XE was the model I’d been looking for for two years, and having it on the shelf — in the right scale, with the right detail, in the right position between the other Optimus Prime vehicle forms — gives the collection a coherence it didn’t have before. The shelf tells a story now: the evolution of Optimus Prime’s vehicle form across the film series, displayed in order, at consistent scale.
That’s what a collection is supposed to do. The Jada Toys Western Star 5700 XE was the piece that made it possible.
If you’re building a Transformers diecast collection or you’re looking for a properly detailed replica of the Western Star 5700 XE, the Jada Toys Transformers Western Star 5700 XE Phantom 1:24 Diecast is the one to get. Browse the full Toys and Toys & Games collections for more options.
Take it out of the box. Hold it. Put it on the shelf. Then stand back and look at what you’ve been missing.
Marcus Trent is a software engineer and lifelong Transformers collector based in Newcastle. He has been collecting since he was eight years old, has a dedicated display shelf in his home office, and is currently deciding whether the collection is complete or whether there’s room for one more model.
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