I've always thought it a bit curious that the Imperial Troop Transporter seems to have been a Kenner creation, yet a couple of years later a similar thing is ferrying rebels about hangers in ESB and ROTJ.

Anyone know anything about this? I'm sure there are other examples too.

Probably the best example of something created by Kenner and later adopted by the film is General Madine's beard.
Kenner produced the figure with a beard which ultimately forced the production team to arm the on screen Madine with that awefully dodgy looking fake beard.

A vehicle similar like the Imperial Troop Transport indeed appeared in Echo Base.



The vehicle also appears on the cardboard of the Rebel Commander Center (sorry no other pic available in my archive, it is just right from Leia's head).




Apparently this vehicle is called the Rebel Troop Carrier. Steve Swanseet wrote a nice article about it.

In detail the Rebel Troop Carrier looks a bit different compared to the Imperial Troop Transport.


Source: http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/2014/02/03/the-rebel-troop-carrier-from-echo-base-to-rancho-obi-wan/

Still.... it is nice to think that Lucas Film paid homage to the first released Extended Universe Kenner toy by giving a modified version some screentime in the Empire Strikes Back.

Not related to the Original Trilogy but the Animation series:

Side Gunner, ATL Interceptor appearing in the Droids Series

Eowk Battle Wagon appearing in the Ewok Series.

The situation is a bit different here though.

I think Kenner made these toys in close cooperation with the creative teams behind the animation series.
This way Kenner could influence the design of the vehicles appearing in the animations series right from the beginning.

The cartoons reminds me - something similar to the Skiff Mini-Rig turned up in Droids too!

Here's another one. It's different in that it's an intentional tribute to the Kenner toys done decades later. Here's Walrus Man as featured in 'The Clone Wars' wearing his eccentric outfit from the late 1970s.

A homage to the Imperial Troop Transporter. It will appear in the new Rebels animation series.

And Hasbro will make a toy from it.


Source: http://www.rebelscum.com/2014-SDCC/SDCC-2014-hasbro-pr/