Recently, one of my best friends, who-like most of my friends-is not a slot car enthusiast himself but nonetheless respects my interest in the hobby, made up a new verb. In the way our language is morphing at an ever increasing rate due to technology, his “WYD” text message to me one night read, “Are you Speed Racering?”
Something about that remark set off a rekindled interest in the cartoon I watched as a child in the 1970’s, along with millions of other American boys my age, and I was happy to find that I no longer have to content myself with mere clips: someone has uploaded the entire series in high-quality to YT for us all to enjoy for free, in both its dubbed American and original Japanese versions, and another kind soul has uploaded the entire OST as well!
I have to confess, the show hasn’t aged all that well; when I first started watching it again just a few weeks ago, I was a little let-down: the stories seem patently ridiculous at times and the dialog is downright laughable, and even the animation itself isn’t as good as I remember it. But there’s still one thing that holds true that reminds me of why I loved the show so much as I kid: the realistic representation of the cars!
Some of the episodes are better than others; some are quite captivating (check the ep called “The Race for Revenge” for one of the better story lines, featuring a good villan with a sinister car). Considering the franchise debuted as a comic book in 1966, where it was called “Mach GoGoGo” in its native land, and then migrated to the animated TV series in 1967-68, the cars portrayed in the cartoon are representative of what was on racing tracks at that time, and you can actually tell, when you watch it, what cars they are. I can remember this as a child, in the days before the internet when my young gearhead hunger for automotive knowledge had to rely entirely on library books and magazines in mall bookstores, watching this show and being thrilled at knowing what I was looking at: that is a Ford GT 40: that is a Ferrari P4; that is a Porsche 906. Street cars that make an appearance in the series include a Mercedes-Benz 280SL, a Ford Model A, and of course there are several instances of Jaguar E-Types. What’s more, the experimental and fictional cars that the show focuses on were based on the styles of these real LeMans sports-racers of the day: even the Mach 5, as far-out as it was, looks like something you might actually have seen on a racing track back in that era. Maybe it’s not as good as I remember it, but the thing that still comes across after all these years is that this show was made by people who loved cars.
Life-size mock-ups of the Mach 5 and the Shooting Star actually exist
The Wikipedia entry on the series is exhaustive and is filled with a wealth of information about the genesis of the franchise. This may be a little more info than you even want, but I found it quite fascinating. It is clear that my generation remembers this show fondly, as it is has gained a foothold in our national culture, suriving to this day in video games, role playing games, and numerous models at nearly every scale, including-yes-1:1. Then of course there’s the really enjoyable movie from 2008, always fun to watch with friends with the assistance of some psychotropics (I’m convinced it was never intended to be watched in an unaltered state of consciousness!) I even remember a song called “Racer-X” by the intense punk-industrial band Big Black-who I still listen too even today when I’m feeling in the mood for something harsh.
Readers of this blog probably know that Auto World has rendered both the Mach 5 and the Shooting Star as slot cars. I’ve never sought to buy them, as this blog makes it clear that my interest is in scale model realism, but I have to admit I’m thinking about seeking out a pair of these if I can get them at a price that’s not too outrageous. I wouldn’t put them in my tournaments, but it would be cool to have them.
As for my friend’s question: He was asking if I was at my track racing, which he knows means I’m intent and focused and don’t have time to talk. I laughed out loud, but since then we’ve started using that term regularly. Of course he’s around my age and remembers watching the show as a kid himself, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re not the only ones using the title as a verb…