Nothing gets us as animated as a discussion about our favorite cars from animated shows we grew up with. Those Saturday morning marathons have given us countless hours filled with funny stories, fun adventures, and of course, some of the coolest cars ever. Whether they talk or fly or speed past a police speed gun, these cars have become part of our childhood.
10 of Our All-Time Favorite Cartoon Rides
1. Lightning McQueen
Disney’s Cars
Disney dished out an unexpected hit with Cars in 2006. Perhaps the youngest car on this list in terms of longevity, Lightning McQueen has instantly become our favorite hot rod as we saw him grow from an arrogant race car — whose only concern in life was winning the Piston Cup — into a lovable and caring friend.
2. The Gadget Mobile
Inspector Gadget
One of the coolest car concepts ever is a dual-mode car feature which the Gadget Mobile has. Under ordinary circumstances, the car is seen in van mode but as soon as a case needs to be solved, it turns into a police car!
3. The Foot Mobile
The Flintstones
Only a handful of animated cars have become iconic in stature and Fred Flintstone’s Footmobile is one of the few. It has no doors, no windows, no floors, not even an engine, yet it packs a mean punch with horsepower generated solely by Fred’s legs!
4. The Mystery Machine
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Another iconic vehicle, the Mystery Machine may not have many special features but it brings us a lot of good old childhood memories of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby — and sometimes, Scrappy — solve cases, riddles, and mysteries.
5. Mach 5
Speed Racer
The exotic Mach 5, widely popular for its aerodynamic build, white paint job with a glaring M on the hood, and speeds that defy the laws of physics. What truly got us hooked is the specialized steering wheel with buttons that activated different features that are handy in a race.
6. The Jetsons’ Flying Car
The Jetsons
If the Flintstones had the Footmobile, the Jetsons had their Flying Car. While these two shows have a lot of differences, they also have a lot of things in common like owning a cool car that all the kids on the block wanted to own when they grow up. Who wouldn’t want a flying car that folds up into a briefcase after use?!
7. Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86
Initial D
While this car, nicknamed “86” in Japan, is not entirely special unlike the other cars on this list, what makes it stand out among all the other toon cars of its time is the man behind the wheels, Takumi Fujiwara. His brilliant handling of the car immediately made him and the car fan favorites in the U.S.
8. Speed Buggy
Speed Buggy
The show about the speedy dune buggy may not have lasted long (it only lasted for one season), but Speed Buggy was well-received by many that producers of the show decided to use him in other Hanna Barbera cartoons as well.
9. Bumblebee
Transformers
The 1980s brought about a plethora of cartoons that became deeply ingrained in pop culture. But none of them had a lasting impact like Transformers, especially our favorite Beetle, Bumblebee. The show and the characters have transcended time and have become part of this generation’s pop culture as well, with Bee at the forefront as a top fan favorite.
10. The Batmobile
Batman
Finally, no cartoon vehicles list would be complete without the sleek Batmobile. Whether it’s from 60s cartoons, the Super Friends, the 90s animated series, or the current DC animated shows and movies, the Batmobile will forever be one of pop culture’s most iconic vehicles ever.
We may have a lot of awesome cars in the real world but as far as we’re concerned, nothing the real world has to offer will ever come close to these childhood favorites.