Wacky Races
Inspired by car-chase movies 'The Great Race' and 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines', the animated series follows the adventures of a group of eccentric characters in equally outlandish automobiles as they compete in a no-holds-barred, cross-country motor race. Leading the pack are the fiendish Dick Dastardly and his canine sidekick Muttley ("rassuh-frazza-pazza"), whose all-encompassing bid for victory involves underhand tactics such as oil slicks and detours.
There is always a sub-plot involving one of the teams, and there is always a plot line involving one of Dastardly's schemes. Dastardly generally drives far ahead of the other cars and sets up an ambush for them. The question has been raised that if Dastardly can get so far ahead of the others, why not just drive a normal race and win it like that, but of course that would defeat the object. He is a cheat, that is what he does.
11 different cars racing against each other in various road rallies, with each driver hoping to win the title of the "World's Wackiest Racer.":
00 - Dick Dastardly and Muttley in the Mean Machine
The villains of the series and the only one who resorts to cheating. Their purple, rocket-powered car with spikes on the wheels and an abundance of concealed weapons, plus the ability to fly.
01 - The Slag Brothers in the Bouldermobile
Cavemen, Rock and Gravel Slag, drive a car fashioned from a huge boulder which is never capable of particularly astonishing speeds but they can speed up by hitting it with clubs.
02 - The Gruesome Twosome in the Creepy Coupe
Big and L'il Gruesome- a Frankenstein/Lurch type creature and a purple skinned vampire - drive a car with a belfry which houses a dragon and various spooky characters. The Creepy Coupe iss able to fly short distances through use of the dragon's wings and has bats constantly circling its belfry. They bear more than a passing resemblence to The Addams Family.
03 - Professor Pat Pending in the Convert-a-Car
A scientist in a boat-shaped car equipped with a multitude of gadgets and which can change into just about anything that moves imaginable at the touch of a button.
04 - Red Max in the Crimson Haybailer
Based on the Red Baron, the infamous German flying ace of World War I, in a World War II biplane/car hybrid that was capable of limited flight, usually just enough to leapfrog over racers or obstacles in its path. Red Max could use his propeller as a weapon to slice other cars into pieces,
05 - Penelope Pitstop in the Compact Pussycat
The only female racer, driving a pink feminine car, that has countless amazing contraptions which keep her looking glamorous while she keeps both eyes on the road. Her personal grooming facilities would sometimes backfire on other racers, such as shampoo foam hitting their faces.
Who says there's no room for sexist stereotypes in childrens animation! But don't be fooled - she can drive as well as anyone.
06 - Sergeant Blast and Private Meekly in the Army Surplus Special
Two soldiers, one a sergeant and the other a private, racing in an army tank/jeep hybrid with a small steamroller‘s wheel attached to the front. The Army Surplus Special, otherwise known as the Surplus Six, made use of its tank facilities while racing, including its cannon, which could spin around to face forward or back.
07 - The Ant Hill Mob in the Bulletproof Bomb
Led by Clyde, with Danny, Kurby, Mac, Ring-A-Ding, Rug Bug, Benny, and Willy. Diminutive Chicago gangsters in a 1920s sedan, the Bulletproof Bomb, aka the Roaring Plenty. They have the added distraction of rescuing Penelope Pitstop and evading the police.
08 - Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear in the Arkansas Chuggabug
A hillbilly who sleeps during most of the races on his rocking chair with his feet on the steering wheel, and a nervous bear called Blubber, in a wooden buggy which amazingly manages to keep pace considering it's powered by a coal-fired pot-bellied stove.
09 - Peter Perfect in the Turbo Terrific
A jock driving a drag racer that often falls to bits, usually immediately following him making a remark about how reliable it is. Peter had a crush on Penelope Pitstop, and so often stopped to help her or impress her with his good looks and charm. He is more ego than racing driver.
10 - Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth in the Buzz Wagon
A muscle-bound lumberjack and a beaver in a wagon made of logs, with circular saws for wheels. It doesn't do to mess them about, as they get rather irritable.
Spin Offs
The Slag Brothers were slightly redesigned and were the inspiration for Captain Caveman.
The Ant Hill Mob re-appeared with Penelope Pitstop in the The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, with Clyde in a silver outfit and his wingmen, with new names, wearing blue outfits and riding in a new living car, Chugga-Boom.
Dick Dastardly and Muttley were given a spinoff, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (although I always knew it as Stop The Pigeon).