Why did they bring back the blue Octan torso several times?

[SpacePolice89]

Why did they bring back and update the blue Octan torso several times with very minor details such as the "OIL" text in different styles but not the red and white equivalents? Don't get me wrong, I like the blue Octan torso very much and it appears in one of my favorite Town sets (6335 Indy Transport) but why only the blue one and not the others? Bricklink has seven different versions of it (some with promotional backprint). There is even a playable character in Lego City Undercover with this torso than I use when I play that game. According to Bricklink the torso has appeared between 1994 and 2016.

  

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=973pb4275c01&idColor=7#T=C&C=7

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=973pb4274c01#T=C&C=7

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

I think of all the Octan torsos, the blue ones are my favorite, including the one from the 2016 gas station and onwards. Considering that the blue Octan torso was around at the time, I'm surprised that they never used that torso on Nubby Stevens from Lego Island. In Lego Island, he wears a construction workers uniform despite being a mechanic for the Octan Corporation. 

[SpacePolice89]

The playable character "Gas Station Manager" from Lego City Undercover

  On 3/7/2025 at 6:47 PM, The Island Chronicles said:

I think of all the Octan torsos, the blue ones are my favorite, including the one from the 2016 gas station and onwards. Considering that the blue Octan torso was around at the time, I'm surprised that they never used that torso on Nubby Stevens from Lego Island. In Lego Island, he wears a construction workers uniform despite being a mechanic for the Octan Corporation. 

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It is also one of my favorite Octan torsos but my very favorite is the white one with an Octan logo and text. It is indeed strange that blue Octan torso didn't appear in Lego Island.

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

  On 3/8/2025 at 7:10 AM, SpacePolice89 said:

It is indeed strange that blue Octan torso didn't appear in Lego Island.

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It appeared, but race car driver Rhoda Hogg was the one wearing it, but it had red sleeves. I was just surprised that Nubby wasn't wearing it as that was the blue Octan torso was what mechanics wore. Gas Station attendants wore it too. 

  On 3/8/2025 at 7:10 AM, SpacePolice89 said:

It is also one of my favorite Octan torsos but my very favorite is the white one with an Octan logo and text.

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The white Octan torso is still pretty prominent as well. That one was also updated a few times too. There was also a rare green one that had minor appearances in some Town Jr/City sets and made appearances in the LEGO LOCO game. I often called that one, Nubby Stevens in an alternate universe. 

Edited March 8 by The Island Chronicles

[TeriXeri]

I think I got that torso from 2849 Helicopter , which also was released as 1068 Air Patrol

 

  On 3/8/2025 at 2:43 PM, The Island Chronicles said:

It appeared, but race car driver Rhoda Hogg was the one wearing it, but it had red sleeves. I was just surprised that Nubby wasn't wearing it as that was the blue Octan torso was what mechanics wore. Gas Station attendants wore it too. 

The white Octan torso is still pretty prominent as well. That one was also updated a few times too. There was also a rare green one that had minor appearances in some Town Jr/City sets and made appearances in the LEGO LOCO game. I often called that one, Nubby Stevens in an alternate universe. 

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I got the Green one from the 1996 train , was an awesome figure, especially at the time green regular parts were still quite rare.

Edited March 8 by TeriXeri

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

  On 3/8/2025 at 8:28 PM, TeriXeri said:

I think I got that torso from 2849 Helicopter , which also was released as 1068 Air Patrol

 

I got the Green one from the 1996 train , was an awesome figure, especially at the time green regular parts were still quite rare.

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Up until the 2016 service center, I have only owned the blue "Oil" torso along with some of the white racing torsos. I still have a lot of my old town worker torsos in my collection. The Blue Oil one is my favorite. 

[SpacePolice89]

  On 3/8/2025 at 2:43 PM, The Island Chronicles said:

It appeared, but race car driver Rhoda Hogg was the one wearing it, but it had red sleeves. I was just surprised that Nubby wasn't wearing it as that was the blue Octan torso was what mechanics wore. Gas Station attendants wore it too. 

The white Octan torso is still pretty prominent as well. That one was also updated a few times too. There was also a rare green one that had minor appearances in some Town Jr/City sets and made appearances in the LEGO LOCO game. I often called that one, Nubby Stevens in an alternate universe. 

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Thanks for the information. I haven't played Lego Island since the late 90s. A friend of mine had it. This got me inspired to buy the game and play it again.

[Renny The Spaceman]

Mad it lasted that long, gotta respect it. Always love those random prints that just never die. The day the Jang head stops appearing LEGO itself is dead