Here he comes, Here comes Speed Racer, He’s a demon on wheels! He’s a demon and he’s gonna be chasin’ after someone… It’s got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it’s got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters so it’ll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what? It’s a combination we would have never seen on screen, but hey! it works great for our slot car world. Who would have ever imagined Speed Racer, Racer X and Elwood and Jake Blues all together. A group like that, we can’t lose!
#1 Speed Racer – Mach 5 – White-/Red
“The Mach Five is the most complex and ingenious car ever built; a tribute to my father’s imagination, genius and technical skills!” -Speed Racer. Speed Racer premiered on American television in the summer of 1967. In the series, Speed’s full name was Go Mifune, in homage to Japanese film star Toshiro Mifune. His Americanized name became Speed Racer. His adventures centered on his powerful Mach 5 car, his girlfriend Trixie, his little brother Spritle, Spritle’s pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim, and his mysterious older brother, Racer X, whose real name was Rex Racer. Speed competed in Formula Libre style racing, with races set all over the world. The Mach 5 was designs with special components that were controlled by buttons on the steering wheel. They were:
A: Auto Jack, Releases four jacks to boost the car up so that it can be repaired. Although designed for this function, the auto jacks are more often used to jump the car short distance or as an alternative braking system.
B: Belt Tires, Sprouts special grip tires for traction over any kind of terrain. At the same time, 5,000 horsepower is distributed evenly to all four wheels by special engines.
C: Cutter Blades, Powerful rotary saws protrude from the front of the Mach Five to remove obstacles in its way such as trees.
D: Deflector, Releases a powerful deflector which seals the cockpit in a bulletproof and crash-proof, and either an air-tight or water-tight chamber depending on the environment around the car. Inside it, the car driver is completely invulnerable.
E: Special Illumination, The control for special illumination which can be traversed singly or in tandem, which enables the driver to see much farther and more clearly than with ordinary headlights.
F: Frogger Mode, Used when the Mach Five is under water. First, the cockpit is supplied with oxygen. Then, a periscope is raised to scan the surface of the water. Everything that is seen is relayed down to the driver’s seat by television. The 100-pound (45 kg) auxiliary supply of oxygen is enough to last for thirty minutes.
G: Homing Robot, Releases a homing robot bird from the front of the car. The homing robot bird can fly and can carry pictures or tape recorded messages. The bird-like device is operated by a built-in remote control within the cockpit.
Information collected from Tatsunoko Productions, and episode #2 The Great Plan Part 2.
#2 Racer X – Shooting Star – Yellow/Black
The enigmatic Racer X is a frequent recurring character, driving car number 9, the “Shooting Star”. Racer X is a mysterious, selfless, sympathetic, and often brooding soldier of fortune whose secret identity is that of Rex Racer, Speed’s older brother.
The Shooting Star is colored bright yellow with a black front bumper and numbered 9 on the hood and sides. The car’s engine is located in the back, and it is a very agile machine, often displaying abilities akin to and even above those of the Mach Five. Many of its high-tech features allow Racer X to keep an eye on Speed Racer, and help keep him out of trouble.
Information collected from Tatsunoko Productions.
#3 Bluesmobile – 1974 Dodge Monaco – Black/White
The Bluesmobile played a pivotal role in transporting Jake and Elwood cross-country to reunite their band and save the orphanage the grew up in. The Bluesmobile has the ability to perform seemingly impossible stunts, such as jumping over an open drawbridge, flipping backwards in midair and even “flying” for very brief periods of time. However, its cigarette lighter does not work! The “1974 Dodge Sedan” was everything they needed to complete their “mission from God”! Interesting note about the Bluesmobile in the first Blues Brothers movie, at the time of the film’s release, it set a world record for the most cars destroyed in one film; it held this distinction until 1998, when it was surpassed by its own sequel.
#4 1974 Dodge Monaco – Chicago Police – White/Blue
The Dodge Polara was the car of choice for police departments up to 1974 when Dodge dropped the line that year. The Monaco was moved into the spot, removing a good deal of the trim level and bumping up the performance (cop motor, cop transmission) and suspension components (cop shocks, cop tires) to meet the need of police duties. A note for the collectors, the earlier ‘74 Monaco Chicago Police car released in 2015, has different car numbers (9332), red numbers in the blue stripe and brighter blue siren lights. We’ll post a picture below for comparison.
Here’s the packaging for the 2022 Auto World Various Chassis Release 36 SC372 Silver Screen Machines
Below are the comparison pictures of the 2015 America’s Finest release of the 1974 Dodge Monaco Chicago Police car #9332 (Left) and the new release with #748 (Right). Notice the front fender numbers on the original are all red and the bubblegum sirens are a lighter blue.
Here are a few views of the new Silver Screen Machines Release 36.
