Were These Iconic Cartoon Cars Part of Your Childhood?

Cartoons have been around for decades now, long enough that at least four generations have grown up watching funny moving pictures on their television screens. While cruising down memory lane, we started to reminisce about some of the most iconic cars from our favorite cartoons. Here they are in all their nostalgic glory:

“The Flintstones” Cavemobile (1960)

While “The Flintstones” originally ran from 1960 to 1966, it remained popular for decades after thanks to reruns on various local stations and NBC’s Saturday morning cartoon programming. Spin-off series, television specials, games, and more sprouted from this beloved franchise about a prehistoric family dealing with common modern-day dilemmas. One of the most memorable scenes from The Flintstones is watching Fred Flintstone scurry off, full-speed, with his family on the Cavemobile, also known as the Flintmobile. The foot-powered prehistoric marvel showed up in the show’s opening sequence and multiple promotional posters, making it one of the most recognizable cars on this list.

“The Jetsons” Flying Car (1962)

The Jetsons were another popular cartoon family in the ’60s, but their last season aired much later in 1987. “The Jetsons” was also one of the cartoons that NBC, CBS, and ABC often aired on Saturday mornings, so they’re a familiar sight for many ’70s and ’80s kids. This futuristic family needed an equally futuristic ride, which is where their flying car came in. The show’s opening sequence showed George Jetson dropping his family members off one by one in the iconic green spaceship-like car.

The “Speed Racer” Mach 5 (1966)

Early anime fans likely remember the Mach 5 from “Speed Racer,” which many believe to be a mix of Elvis Presley’s Elva from Viva Las Vegas and the Aston Martin DB5 from “Goldfinger.” While localization had a long way to go back then, there’s a certain charm to the janky animation and nonsense English. The Mach 5, at least, makes for an excellent animated gadget car that any kid would love to have when fighting bad guys.

“Wacky Races” Cars (1968)

If we’re talking memorable cars, you can take your pick from ones in “Wacky Races.” This 1960s cartoon recently had a reboot in 2017, but with a much reduced lineup. Its original set of racers had cars that embodied their different personalities, so we’re sad to see so many of them go. At least they kept Dick Dastardly and Muttley, who are up to their old tricks in their pointy purple racer.

The “Scooby-Doo” Mystery Machine (1969)

When it comes to cartoon car classics, it’s hard to top the “Scooby-Doo” Mystery Machine. The Scooby-Doo franchise from Warner Bros. has some of the most recognizable icons to date, and the Mystery Machine is a big part of their image. Old Scoob has come a long way since his debut in 1969. After hundreds of episodes, dozens of films, and a slew of spin-offs and reboots, more often than not, the gang still piles into the old, reliable green, blue, and orange van. Its psychedelic paint job is one of the biggest indicators of its age, and it looks to be a mix of various 1960s vans like the Chevrolet Sportvan and the Dodge A100.

Bumblebee from “Transformers” (1984)

The Transformers franchise has grown a lot since the 1980s, but these days they’ve taken on a more live-action look. Back in the ’80s “Transformers” cartoon, fan-favorite Bumblebee’s disguise was a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, not a hotshot sports car. It was a form much more suited to his name, if you ask us. Bumblebee still had his friendly attitude though, which is a big part of why fans think he’s so lovable.

“The Simpsons” Junkerolla (1989)

“The Simpsons” is another long-standing franchise that’s stood the test of time. While the show isn’t for kids, it’s been around long enough that many adults today remember watching it as teens. The animated sitcom provides tons of social commentary paired with generous helpings of humor, all centered around a satirical and stereotypical American family made up of yellow cartoon caricatures. The Simpsons rely on a car to get around, and the show itself identified the pink sedan as a 1986 Plymouth Junkerolla. While the Junkerolla is an entirely fictional model, it’s based on various sedans of the era. The Junkerolla most notably resembles the Plymouth Reliant.

The “Initial D” AE86 (2002)

By the ’90s, anime was gaining even more popularity in the West, and it wasn’t long before Cartoon Network’s Toonami emerged. Toonami was the first big anime channel, and distributors broadcast their translated media there. In 2002, distributor Tokyopop bought the English distribution rights for the popular Japanese racing anime and manga, “Initial D,” and it wasn’t long before American audiences were able to enjoy the story. The series centered on a small-town illegal racer named Takumi and his 1985 Toyota Sprinter Trueno, otherwise known as the AE86. Newer, supposedly better cars frequently outmatched the 86 in races, but Takumi’s expertise behind the wheel often brought him out on top.

Lightning McQueen from “Cars” (2006)

Lightning McQueen from “Cars” is an odd cartoon icon from the mid-2000s. After all, who would have expected a talking car with giant windshield eyes to sell so well? Pixar went hard on the marketing for Lightning, and many 2000s kids will remember this red racer fondly. There are three “Cars” movies to date, and the first and third focused on Lightning and his journey from a promising rookie to an experienced coach. A lot of today’s young adults grew up with Lightning, and while his movie wasn’t the best Pixar flick, it was certainly one of the most marketed ones to date.

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And there you have it! These are some of the most memorable cartoon cars from our childhoods. Did you spot any notable ones from yours?