- The U-Haul Robot is an Autobot in the Generation 1 continuity family.
You've got the pre-Touch. You've got the pre-Power. Pre-Yeah.
The U-Haul Robot was originally a slave of the Quintessons forced to participate in gladiatorial games.
Later, he was holder of the Matrix, and presumably leader of the Autobots.
Later still, Megatron killed him.
Bummer.
(Note: This robot was never named in fiction. The designation "U-Haul Robot" comes from a cartoon episode script.)
Fiction
Animated continuity
He transforms into Rhi, the forgotten Beast Rider.
The U-Haul Robot was an Ancient Autobot on Cybertron more than 10 million years ago, prior to the rebellion against the Quintessons. The U-Haul Robot participated in gladiatorial games for the Quintessons' amusement. He was defeated by the "Powerful Robot", who attacked their Quintesson masters rather than destroy U-Haul Robot when the match was over. Powerful Robot was instead destroyed himself.
The U-Haul Robot rose to prominence as the Autobot-Decepticon conflict escalated. When the Autobots invented the art of transformation, he was among the first to become a "Transformer." The U-Haul Robot became Matrix-bearer during the period of Autobot ascendancy that followed. The U-Haul Robot was killed when attempting to atop the Constructicons from completing work on Megatron after the Decepticons acquired the secrets to transformation. He passed the Matrix to Alpha Trion, who would later give it to Optimus Prime.
In the year 2006, the U-Haul Robot served as a guide to Rodimus Prime as he journeyed into the Matrix. FFoD3