In the summer of 1967, a young man with a red neckerchief and a pompadour hairstyle became the most recognizable face in American animation, yet his true name was never spoken on screen. Speed Racer, known in Japan as Mach GoGoGo, premiered on Fuji Television on the 1st of April 1967, but it was the American adaptation that turned a simple racing story into a cultural phenomenon. The show was produced by Tatsunoko Production, a studio that would go on to define the early landscape of Japanese animation for the West. The series followed the adventures of Go Mifune, a seventeen-year-old driver who raced a car called the Mach 5, a vehicle that could deploy jacks to jump over obstacles and had a built-in machine gun. The show was not just about speed; it was about family, loyalty, and the strange, often violent world of underground racing. The American version, dubbed by Peter Fernandez, changed the protagonist's name to Speed Racer and gave him a brother named Rex, who was secretly Racer X, a mysterious figure who raced to protect Speed. The show ran for fifty-two episodes, ending in March 1968, but its influence stretched far beyond its original run. It was watched by an estimated audience of 100 million viewers during the 1960s and 1970s, making it one of the most successful anime exports of its time. The show's success was not just due to its action, but to its unique blend of family drama, technological wonder, and the moral ambiguity of its villains. The show's creator, Tatsuo Yoshida, drew inspiration from two films that were popular in Japan at the time: Viva Las Vegas and Goldfinger. He combined the image of Elvis Presley driving a race car with the gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 of James Bond to create the Mach 5. The result was a car that was not just a vehicle, but a character in its own right. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro.
The Family Behind The Wheel
At the heart of the story was the Mifune family, a group of characters who were as unique as the cars they drove. Speed's father, Pops, was a former wrestler who had quit his job in a corporate car manufacturing company to found his own company, Mifune Motors. He was a hothead who was overprotective of his family, and his design skills allowed him to create powerful engines, especially his prized Mach Series. Speed's mother, Mom, was a side character in the series, having limited dialogue, and many episodes of the anime did not feature her at all. In the live-action film, however, she was portrayed by Susan Sarandon as an encouraging parental figure. Speed's younger brother, Spritle, had a pet chimpanzee named Chim-Chim, who responded to the name of Chim-Chim in the American version. Their rebellious attitudes often led them to trouble, but their mischief somehow aided Speed away from danger. Spritle and Chim-Chim dressed in identical jumpsuits and striped hats and often performed identical physical actions. They both had an extreme appetite for candy, and they were usually bribed with dessert or other presents. Spritle and Chim-Chim often used a slingshot to combat any threats that came to both themselves and/or Speed. Speed's girlfriend, Trixie, was a character who was not portrayed as a helpless perpetual victim. In addition to frequently providing helicopter backup, Trixie often proved herself the equal of Speed when forced into physical altercations. While Trixie has been captured on occasion by the villains, she refused to cower or plead for her release, more often giving the bad guy a serious tongue-lashing until she was either rescued or escaped on her own. On some occasions, Trixie has even been the one to rescue Speed or other male characters from their predicaments. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro.
The enigmatic Racer X was a frequent recurring character, driving car number 9, the Shooting Star. Racer X was a mysterious, selfless, sympathetic, and often brooding soldier of fortune whose secret identity was that of Rex Racer, Speed's older brother. Six years prior, Rex had a falling out with Pops after wrecking a race car that Pops had built. Pops had told Rex prior to the race that he was not prepared to compete at the professional racing level. With less than one lap to go, Rex was leading and cruising toward victory, but lost control of the car, wrecking it. Pops exploded with anger and berated Rex, and in response, Rex exiled himself, vowing to become the world's greatest race car driver. In both Speed Racer X and in the 2008 movie, Rex was thought to have died in that accident. In the film, he was portrayed by Matthew Fox, while his younger self was portrayed by Scott Porter. Pops and Speed always acknowledged that Racer X was the superior driver and the greatest driver that they had ever seen; however, Speed still vowed to defeat Racer X. In the anime, Speed was often suspicious of Racer X's identity and motives because Racer X would sacrifice winning races to protect Speed from drivers who tried to harm him. The assistance from Racer X nearly always led to Speed winning races, while Racer X came in second place. Racer X always left the scene unnoticed, receding into his secret life. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro.
The Cars That Defied Physics
Many of the show's cars had special abilities in the series. The Mach 5, Speed Racer's car, was a technological marvel, containing useful pieces of equipment. Gō Mifune/Speed Racer easily deployed these gadgets by pressing buttons marked A through G on the steering wheel hub. This uniquely designed car, built with a sleek Coke bottle bodystyle, had a white exterior with a large M on its hood, the logo for the family business, Mifune Motors. The two-seat car had a mostly red-colored interior. The number 5 was emblazoned on both side doors of the car. In the manga and anime, this was the car's racing number; in the film, it was because it was the fifth car built in Pops' Mach Series of racing vehicles. Although technically inferior to other racing vehicles such as the Mammoth Car and the GRX, the Mach 5 managed to win most races because of Speed's superior driving skills. The Mach 5 had been stolen from Speed a few times, once when Cornpone Blotch took the car to add it to his car collection in the Girl Daredevil saga. However, Speed always got it back at the end of the episode. At one point, the car was replicated, functions and all, by Dr. Nightcall. However, this replica included other new abilities that inspired later functions of the car in remakes of the show, one of which were the Aero-Jacks, used as a replacement for the Auto Jacks in Speed Racer X. In manga continuity, the Mach 5 was destroyed and rebuilt. The Mammoth Car, appearing only in the anime, was supposedly the largest racing vehicle in the world. Similar in design to a road train, the Mammoth Car was mostly red and was built by Speed Racer villain Cruncher Block. The Mammoth Car was built almost entirely of 50 million dollars in stolen gold bars. This amount of gold, however, would actually occupy only 74 cubic feet, based on the then price of gold of 35 dollars per ounce. By entering it in the No Limit World Race, Cruncher wished to smuggle the gold out of the country. The Mammoth Car's main engine had 1000 horsepower. Each wheel also had an engine with 1000 horsepower, giving it a total of 5000 horsepower. It could travel at 100 miles per hour, on any kind of road or terrain. It made screeching sounds reminiscent of Godzilla. It had magnetic brakes and was over 50 feet long, making the Mammoth Car one of the most interesting cars in the series. It was destroyed after it crashed into an oil refinery and melted into its original gold form by the intense heat. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro.
The Global Racing Franchise
The show's mainstream success in the United States spawned an ongoing Speed Racer franchise. This ranged from comics, video releases, merchandise, a live-action film, and newer series either rebooting or continuing the original series. The franchise began in the early 1990s when a company, Speed Racer Enterprises, acquired rights to the original series. At the time when the series was originally released, very little merchandise was released in the United States. However, during the series' re-airing during the 1990s, Speed Racer Enterprises was responsible for the creation of actual Speed Racer merchandise, ranging from small collectible die-cast cars to action figures to home video releases of episodes from the original series. Speed Racer Enterprises was also involved in creating original American takes on the Japanese series, such as The New Adventures of Speed Racer and Speed Racer: The Next Generation. Due to Speed Racer Enterprises, the original 1967 series made a comeback through reruns on MTV, broadcast in the early morning hours. In 1993, the series was rebroadcast in syndication concurrently with a new American-created remake. Since all the rights were then under Speed Racer Enterprises, all references to the original rights holder, Trans-Lux, were removed. Therefore, the opening sequence included an entirely recreated logo, which most people are familiar with today; however when Speed Racer Enterprises authorized Volkswagen to use Speed Racer in a July 1996 GTI commercial, J.J. Sedelmaier faithfully replicated the look of the original episode title cards, including the original logo. In October 2002, DIC Entertainment acquired worldwide entertainment rights for the series, consisting of broadcast, merchandising and licensing. This is the version that later aired on the Cartoon Network in the late afternoon and later on in late night/overnight programming, and it was also the version of the series that was first released on Region 1 DVD. In December 2013, Tatsunoko gained all rights to the Speed Racer franchise, retroactively as to May 2011, as part of a settlement of lawsuits between Speed Racer Enterprises and the animation studio. Tatsunoko had claimed that SRE had exceeded its contractual rights in continuing to license the property after 2011. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro.
The Legacy Of Speed
The show's legacy continued long after its original run. In 1993, The New Adventures of Speed Racer, an American-produced series, had a much more contemporary art style. It was not a direct continuation of the original series; therefore, it is considered a reboot. While the original series had more realistic themes, such as gang violence and family ties, this series introduced science fiction themes, like robots and mutants. Tatsunoko did not authorize the production of this series, and it was off the air after only 13 episodes. For the original series' 40th anniversary in 2006, a Flash-based series of webisodes titled Speed Racer Lives was released. This series was depicted as a continuation of the original series, taking place many years after it. The series was made available on the Internet solely to promote a new line of toys made by Art Asylum. In 2008, Speed Racer: The Next Generation, a new series, was released on Nicktoons. Like Speed Racer Lives, this series was conceived as taking place years after the original. It focuses on the sons of the original Speed Racer. Its premiere coincided with the live-action feature film in May 2008. Peter Fernandez voices a middle-aged version of Spritle, Speed's younger brother from the original Japanese series. The show's protagonist, also named Speed, and one of Spritle's nephews, is voiced by New Jersey native Kurt Csolak. Larry Schwarz is the creator of the TV series, which is produced by Animation Collective, the creators of Kappa Mikey and Three Delivery. Like the 1993 remake, this series was not authorized by Tatsunoko. Pangea Corporation has been working with Speed Racer Enterprises for over 20 years and has created several new show iterations. The original series was also revived on MTV in 1993. It moved to Cartoon Network in 1996 and again to its sister network Boomerang until 2005. In May 2022, Apple TV+ announced that a live action television series from J. J. Abrams is in development with his company Bad Robot. The series will be based on an unproduced script that Abrams had written in the 1990s. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro. The show's success was also due to its ability to adapt to different cultures. In the United States, the show was edited and dubbed to fit American sensibilities, with the names of villains changed to be more cartoony and the storylines simplified. In Latin America, the show was known as Speed Racer, but the car was called Meteoro.