Speed Buggy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Speed Buggy |
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 The series' title card
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| Directed by | Charles A. Nichols |
| Voices of | Mel Blanc Michael Bell Arlene Golonka Phil Luther Jr. |
| Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
| Composer(s) | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Producer(s) | Iwao Takamoto Art Scott (associate) |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Distributor | Taft Broadcasting Warner Bros. Television (currently) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 8 – December 22, 1973 |
Speed Buggy is a fun American animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera. It first aired on CBS from September to December 1973. The show is about an orange talking dune buggy named Speed Buggy. He teams up with three teenagers: Debbie, Mark, and Tinker. Together, they race around the world and solve exciting mysteries. Famous voice actors like Mel Blanc gave voices to the characters.
The idea for Speed Buggy came from the 1968 Disney movie The Love Bug. It was also inspired by the Japanese anime series Speed Racer. Some of the stories in Speed Buggy were similar to those in another Hanna-Barbera show, Josie and the Pussycats.
Even though Speed Buggy only had one season with 16 episodes, it became quite popular. It was shown again on TV channels for many years after it first aired. People think it gained fans because it was often re-broadcast. Many critics liked the show. They enjoyed its similarities to Josie & the Pussycats and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. You can even find the series on DVD today.
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Meet Speed Buggy and Friends
The show follows three teenagers and a special talking car. They travel to many different places around the world. Their goal is to win racing competitions and collect "winner's trophies." But during their trips, they often run into bad guys. They have to stop villains like diamond thieves or evil pirates. The teenagers are called the "Speed Buggs." They can make Speed Buggy move using a special walkie-talkie.
Who are the Main Characters?
The series features four main characters who go on all the adventures:
- Speed Buggy is an orange dune buggy. He is nicknamed "Speedy" and can talk. His headlights are his eyes, and his front grille is his mouth. He is the funny hero of the group. Mel Blanc, a famous voice actor, gave him his voice.
- Mark is a teenager who is the "brain" of the group. He is very smart. Michael Bell voiced Mark. This was one of Bell's first voice acting jobs.
- Debbie is a beautiful teenage girl. She is also part of the team. Arlene Golonka voiced Debbie. This was Golonka's first time as a voice actress.
- Tinker is a teenage mechanic. He designed Speed Buggy and is his best friend. Tinker is also Speed Buggy's driver. Phil Luther Jr. voiced Tinker.
Speed Buggy Adventures: Episode Guide
Here is a list of the exciting episodes from Speed Buggy:
| No. | Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
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| 1 | "Speed Buggy Went That-a-Way" | September 8, 1973 | 65-1 |
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The crew visits Debbie's aunt Belle. They see her cattle being stolen! Speed Buggy and the team try to stop the bad guy, Beefinger.
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| 2 | "Speed Buggy's Daring Escapade" | September 15, 1973 | 65-2 |
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Dr. Kluge wants to steal Speed Buggy. He wants to make his own super car. Kluge tries many tricks to get Speed Buggy.
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| 3 | "Taggert's Trophy" | September 22, 1973 | 65-3 |
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During a race, "The Chief" takes control of all the cars. The crew tries to stop him from causing trouble.
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| 4 | "Speed Buggy Falls in Love" | September 29, 1973 | 65-4 |
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Speed Buggy likes another car, Mata Cari, during a race. But Mata Cari was made by the evil Baron Vulch. Vulch wants to trick Speed Buggy.
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| 5 | "Kingzilla" | October 6, 1973 | 65-5 |
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The crew's plane has problems in the Andes mountains. They land in a place with many gorillas. Two men want Speed Buggy to help them kidnap the gorilla king.
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| 6 | "Professor Snow and Madame Ice" | October 13, 1973 | 65-6 |
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Professor Snow and Madame Ice make cars that can travel on ice. They try to control Tinker. They want to take over the world.
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| 7 | "Out of Sight" | October 20, 1973 | 65-7 |
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Speed Buggy and the crew help Professor Rigby. His old friend, Professor Rishna, is attacking him. Rishna has a solution that makes things invisible.
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| 8 | "Gold Fever" | October 27, 1973 | 65-8 |
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A villain named Gold Fever steals gold from all over the world. He even steals Speed Buggy's racing trophy. The team goes to Hawaii to stop him.
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| 9 | "Island of the Giant Plants" | November 3, 1973 | 65-9 |
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The crew falls off a cruise ship. They land on an island with huge plants. Dr. Meangreen made the plants big. He wants to steal Speed Buggy's remote control.
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| 10 | "Soundmaster" | November 10, 1973 | 65-11 |
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Dr. Ohm creates an evil copy of Speed Buggy. This copy steals a powerful battery. The battery can destroy things with sound waves. The crew must get it back.
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| 11 | "The Ringmaster" | November 17, 1973 | 65-10 |
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The crew visits Pleasure Island for a race. They find a ringmaster who wants to control all the animals. He plans to rule the world.
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| 12 | "The Incredible Changing Man" | November 24, 1973 | 65-12 |
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At a race, the crew meets Jerick. He can grow and multiply using a special potion. Speed Buggy helps get the potion's recipe back.
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| 13 | "Secret Safari" | December 1, 1973 | 65-13 |
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Two scientists, Varzak and Emil, make a laser device. They want to use it to take over the world. They plan to steal Speed Buggy to escape.
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| 14 | "Oil's Well That Ends Well" | December 8, 1973 | 65-14 |
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In Oklahoma, the crew meets Dr. Vesuvio. He is collecting a lot of oil. He wants to use the oil to rule the world.
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| 15 | "The Hidden Valley of Amazonia" | December 15, 1973 | 65-15 |
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Speed Buggy visits the Hidden Valley of Amazonia in the Himalayas. Queen Sheba wants to make Mark and Tinker her slaves. Speed Buggy and Debbie try to stop her.
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| 16 | "Captain Schemo and the Underwater City" | December 22, 1973 | 65-16 |
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Captain Schemo wants to use his submarines to control the oceans. The crew finds his secret underwater base. They try to stop him from taking over the world.
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Images for kids
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The series' title card
