History WesternAnimation / WackyRaces

* {{Expy}}: Dick Dastardly is based on the character of Professor Fate from the film ''The Great Race'', although his visual appearance is [[ComicBookFantasyCasting based on]] the British comedic villain actor Creator/TerryThomas. Who played a character going to Dastardly-esque levels of villainy to win the rally in ''Film/MonteCarloOrBust'' which was released a year after ''Wacky Races'' was first broadcast.

* RhymesOnADime: Some episode titles fall into this: "See Saw to Arkansas," "Beat the Clock to Yellow Rock," "Idaho A-Go-Go," and "Mish Mash Missouri Dash."

* CatchPhrase:

* DamselInDistress: Penelope Pitstop finds herself in trouble quite often - a woman whose {{catchphrase}} is "[[UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents Hay-elp! ''HAY-elp!'']]"

* InteractiveNarrator: Quite so, one of the {{Ur Example}}s in WesternAnimation. The characters often respond to the narrator's statements.

* {{Revival}}: A made-for-TV movie, ''Around the World With the Wacky Racers'', was planned for 1988 (as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 line of TV cartoon movies) but it was never carried out. The 1990 segment ''Fender Bender 500'' (part of the series ''Wake, Rattle and Roll'') is considered a revival of ''Wacky Races'' merely because it has Dastardly and Muttley in it- though this time their opponents are other Hanna-Barbera characters like Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. Also, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nKKbXuilg4 Wacky Races Forever]]'', an unsold pilot for Cartoon Network featuring the son and daughter of Peter and Penelope (who got married), as well as Pat Pending (who, it seems, went gleefully insane, and who now seems willing to use attack abilities), the Slags, now driving a souped-up version of the Bouldermobile, and a cute vampire girl and her companion subbing for the Gruesome Twosome.

* ShipTease: There's quite a few moments between Peter and Penolope implying a relationship, including one episode where Dastardly and Muttley lure them into a cake factory and they wind up wearing wedding outfits. If you think the Forever pilot is canon, then they become an OfficialCouple and have children.

* {{Revival}}: A made-for-TV movie, ''Around the World With the Wacky Racers'', was planned for 1988 (as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 line of TV cartoon movies) but it was never carried out. The 1990 segment ''Fender Bender 500'' (part of the series ''Wake, Rattle and Roll'') is considered a revival of ''Wacky Races'' merely because it has Dastardly and Muttley in it. Also, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nKKbXuilg4 Wacky Races Forever]]'', an unsold pilot for Cartoon Network featuring the son and daughter of Peter and Penelope (who got married), as well as Pat Pending (who, it seems, went gleefully insane, and who now seems willing to use attack abilities), and a cute vampire girl and her companion subbing for the Gruesome Twosome.

* AllStereotypeCast: Features a couple of stereotypical cavemen, a RedBaron expy, a couple of army stereotypes, a mob of stereotypical gangsters, a supergenius scientist inventor, a macho hero with LanternJawOfJustice, a lazy hillbilly with a pet bear, a stereotype lumberjack with a pet beaver, a GirlyGirl obsessed with her looks, and a DastardlyWhiplash-style villain.

* BrokenWinLossStreak: Subverted with Dick Dastardly who has a perfect 0-34 record in this series.

** Luckily, Dastardly gets his LaserGuidedKarma when he crashes into a large boulder due to not paying attention to the road, and is later cited several times by a motorcycle cop for his crimes, including arguing with him over the charges with his cursing and Muttley's Angrish.

* OffModel: Starting with issue #4 of the Gold Key Comics, the stories drawn by Phil [=DeLara=] change Dastardly's trench coat into a mash-up of the one he wears on ''Wacky Races'' and the one he wears on his own ''Dastardly & Muttley'' series. His trousers are uncolored. In the very first issue, Muttley was colored a deep green, then in ensuing issues a bright yellow. In issue 4's "Follow Through to Yoo Hoo," Muttley is in his scarf and flight headgear. In ensuing stories drawn by [=DeLara=], he's in his scarf and drawn with rounded ears like on ''Dastardly & Muttley.''

* Professor Pat Pending changing the shape of his Convert-a-Car.

* The Slag Brothers somehow boosting the speed of the car by either hitting each other over the head with clubs or hitting the car with clubs

* HalfWittedHillbilly: In one episode, Dick Dastardly encounters one of these hillbillies, who has such a short attention span that he doesn't resist when Dick yanks off his hat and beard for a quick disguise.

* {{Expy}}: Dick Dastardly is based on the character of Professor Fate from the film ''The Great Race'', although his visual appearance is [[ComicBookFantasyCasting based on]] the British comedic villain actor Creator/TerryThomas. Who played a character going to Dastardly-esque levels of villainy to win the rally in ''Film/MonteCarloOrBust'', which was released a year after ''Wacky Races'' was first broadcast.

* AlliterativeName: Almost everyone and everything has a name that's an alliteration. Examples include Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect, Dick Dastardly, the Creepy Coupe...

* BrokenAesop: The infamous ending to the episode "Creepy Trip to Lemon Twist" is this, since it attempts to uphold the show's aesop of "Dick Dastardly never wins, because he cheats" by... having the judges literally cheat Dick Dastardly out of a legitimate win. The short explanation is that Dick Dastardly wins the race by driving ahead first, but then the judges demand a replay. In the replay footage, Dick Dastardly is instead shown in the 4th place and extending his nosecone out with a collapsible spring to cross over the finish line first, which the judges rule is worthy of disqualification. The problem is, it's not a Dastardly-exclusive trick; Peter Perfect uses the length of his Turbo Terrific to score on several occasions, and Rufus Ruffcut actually won the race in one episode by ''extending his neck so as to cross the line with his head first''. As the judges didn't have any problem with Peter or Rufus on those occasions, it just comes off as blatant bias against Dick Dastardly.

** In most episodes it could be argued that he got that all-important lead not by having the fastest car or sabotaging the other racers, but by taking a short cut on the non-linear route. He'd technically still be in last place, but could place his traps ahead of all the other cars. When they were out of the race, he could return via his shortcut and drive the route properly. But there are also several races that are straight marathons, where it wouldn't work, AND HE STILL CHEATS!

* DudleyDoRightStopsToHelp: Peter Perfect often stops to do a good deed or help someone in need in almost every episode. This cost him the race at least once as he screeched to a halt just before the finish line to avoid running over a cat that had wandered onto the track. Did earn him a new cat, though. Also, Professor Pat Pending frequently stops and uses his car's inventions to help others.

* {{Expy}}: Dick Dastardly is based on the character of Professor Fate from the film ''The Great Race'', although his visual appearance is [[ComicBookFantasyCasting based on]] the British comedic villain actor Creator/TerryThomas.

* BecomingTheGenie: At the end of "The Dipsy Doodle Desert Derby", [[spoiler:Dick Dastardly's genie laffs at his latest misfortune and Dastardly says he'd teach the genie to laff if they switched places. The genie then switches places with Dastardly].

->''And now here they are!''
->''The most daredevil group of daffy drivers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Races!''
->''Competing for the title of the World's Wackiest Racer!''

* BecomingTheGenie: [[spoiler:At the end of "The Dipsy Doodle Desert Derby", Dick Dastardly's genie laffs at his latest misfortune and Dastardly says he'd teach the genie to laff if they switched places. The genie then switches places with Dastardly.]]

* LuckyTranslation: The Brazilian translation saw the Slag Brothers being translated as "Irmãos Rocha". Irmãos = Brothers, and Rocha, which happens to be a common surname in Portuguese, means Rock. The net result is their name being more 'plausible' in Portuguese than in English.

* TeamRocketWins: Although Dastardly and Muttley never won a race in the original series (not even on a technicality), a few episodes of the ''Fender Bender 500'' had them win for once. Even ''they'' were surprised.

* AllStereotypeCast: Features a couple of stereotypical cavemen, a RedBaron expy, a couple of army stereotypes, a mob of stereotypical gangsters, a supergenius scientist inventor, a macho hero with LanternJawOfJustice, a lazy hillbilly with a pet bear, a stereotype lumberjack with a pet beaver, TheChick who is a GirlyGirl obsessed with her looks, and a DastardlyWhiplash-style villain.

* SneezeOfDoom: In "Wacky Race to Ripsaw", Peter Perfect's car fell apart because of his sneeze. Then again, his car falls apart OnceAnEpisode.
** Dastardly is victimized by this in the comic book variation of "Free Wheeling to Wheeling." The racers have to tread carefully in a canyon where delicately balanced boulders are set so Dastardly sends Muttley up in the air with a canister of pepper to sprinkle on the racers so they'll sneeze and trigger the boulders. But Muttley drops the pepper on Dastardly and...well, you can guess what happens.

* OffModel: Starting with issue #4 of the Gold Key Comics, the stories drawn by Phil [=DeLara=] change Dastardly's trench coat into a mash-up of the one he wears on ''Wacky Races'' and the one he wears on his own ''Dastardly & Muttley'' series. His trousers are uncolored. In the very first issue, Muttley was colored a deep green, then in ensuing issues a bright yellow. In issue 4's "Follow Through to Yoo Hoo," Muttley is in his scarf and flight headgear. In ensuing stories drawn by DeLara, he's in his scarf and drawn with rounded ears like on ''Dastardly & Muttley.''

* OffModel: Starting with issue #4 of the Gold Key Comics, the stories drawn by Phil [=DeLara=] change Dastardly's trench coat into a mash-up of the one he wears on ''Wacky Races'' and the one he wears on his own ''Dastardly & Muttley'' series. His trousers are uncolored. In the very first issue, Muttley was colored a deep green, then in ensuing issues a bright yellow. In issue 4's "Follow Through to Yoo Hoo, Muttley is in his scarf and flight headgear. In ensuing stories drawn by DeLara, he's in his scarf and drawn with rounded ears like on ''Dastardly & Muttley.''

* OffModel: Starting with issue #4 of the Gold Key Comics, the stories drawn by Phil [=DeLara=] change Dastardly's trench coat into a mash-up of the one he wears on ''Wacky Races'' and the one he wears on his own ''Dastardly & Muttley'' series. In the very first issue, Muttley was colored a deep green, then in ensuing issues a bright yellow.

* FemmeFatale: Downplayed with Penelope, although kn the Gold Key Comics she could eliminate Peter Perfect and Red Max by getting them to fight over her.