->''"[[OpeningNarration 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. The cars are approaching the starting line:"''

The character page for the [[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces original]] ''Wacky Races''. For the character page from the [[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces2017 2017 reboot]], click [[Characters/WackyRaces2017 here]].
----[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Peter Perfect (Driver of the Turbo Terrific)]]
!!Peter Perfect
!!!'''Car:''' Turbo Terrific (#9)
->''"First is the Turbo Terrific driven by Peter Perfect."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peter_perfect.gif]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peter_perfect_and_the_turbo_terrific.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Turbo Terrific]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DawsButler (1968 cartoon), Creator/GregBurson (2000 video game), Creator/JeffBennett (''Wacky Races Forever'' pilot), Creator/DiedrichBader (2017)
A gentlemanly racer in the Turbo Terrific who's extremely strong but also very vain, and he often boasts about the virtues of his high-tech race car—which regularly falls to pieces seconds after he's praised it. He is fond of Penelope and often helps her.
----
* TheAllegedCar: The Turbo Terrific seems to fall to pieces at least once per episode.
* AlliterativeName: '''Pe'''ter '''Pe'''rfect.
* ButtMonkey: He regularly suffers [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXZkmFFPy8A particularly embarrassing accidents or mechanical failures]].
* CharacterCatchphrase: Usually "Oh, fiddlesticks!" whenever something goes wrong.
* DoggedNiceGuy: He frequently attempts to flirt with or help Penelope Pitstop, although she rarely encourages him.
* DubNameChange: He's Pedro Bello in Spanish, Pedro Perfeito in Portugal, Pierre de Beau-Fixe in France, and Kizatoto -kun ( キザトト君) in Japan.
* DudleyDoRightStopsToHelp: He 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. It did earn him a new cat, though.
* {{Expy}}: His counterpart in ''Film/TheGreatRace'' is "The Great Leslie" as played by Creator/TonyCurtis.
* FakeUltimateHero: A superficially handsome hero named "Perfect", who is actually wildly unlucky and barely competent.
* FragileSpeedster: The Turbo Terrific is quite fast, but easily falls apart from the slightest touch.
* GlassCannon: Peter's car is fast, but can't take ANYTHING before shattering into pieces.
* IronicName: Not only is Peter Perfect pretty arrogant, things tend to not go well for him.
* LanternJawOfJustice: Yep, he's got a big chin.
* MyCarHatesMe: Almost every time he boasts about how great it is, it falls to bits or throws a chunk of its engine out.
* OldSchoolChivalry: How he behaves towards Penelope, even when it threatens to cost him the race.
* ThrowTheDogABone: If you consider the ''Wacky Races Forever'' pilot as canon, he does eventually get to marry and have kids with Penelope.
* TopHeavyGuy: An inverted triangle of muscle.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rufus Ruffcut & Sawtooth (Drivers of the Buzzwagon)]]
!!Rufus Ruffcut & Sawtooth
!!!'''Car:''' Buzzwagon (#10)
->''"Next, Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth in the Buzzwagon."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rufus_ruffcut_and_sawtooth.jpg]]
[[quoteright:259:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rufus_ruffcut_and_sawtooth_and_the_buzzwagon.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:259:The Buzzwagon]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DawsButler (Rufus Ruffcut, 1968 cartoon), Creator/DonMessick (Sawtooth, 1968 cartoon), Creator/GregBurson (Rufus Ruffcut, 2000 video game)
Rufus Ruffcut, a lumberjack, and his companion Sawtooth, a beaver, drive the Buzzwagon, which is entirely made of wood, features four circular saw blades as wheels, and Sawtooth is able to cut through obstacles (such as trees and other objects) at super-high speed.
----
* AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal: Sawtooth wears a yellow helmet, a yellow scarf, goggles, and yellow gloves.
* AlliterativeName: '''Ruf'''us '''Ruf'''fcut.
* BambooTechnology: The Buzz Wagon appears to basically be a kart made out of wood with saws for wheels.
* BigGuyLittleGuy: Rufus and Sawtooth, respectively.
* DubNameChange:
** Rufus is Brutus in Spanish, Rufus Lenhador in Brazil, Rufus la Rondelle in France, and Don Kappe (ドン・カッペ) in Japan.
** Sawtooth is Listus in Spanish, Serra-Dentuças in Portugal, Dentes-de-Serra in Brazil, Saucisson in France, and Jinbei (甚平) in Japan.
** The Mexican dub changed the car's name to ''Troncoswagen'', as a pun on Volkswagen being the most popular car company at the moment.
* MightyLumberjack: Their car is made from logs and has circular saws for wheels, and Rufus has the stereotypical muscles, plaid shirt and coonskin cap.
* MooseAndMapleSyrup: Stereotypically Canadian lumber workers.
* NonHumanSidekick: Sawtooth is a beaver.
* SolidCartoonFacialStubble: Rufus Ruffcut has a tanny section of solid stubble that takes a slight lift on each cheek before curving back down to his jawline.
* TopHeavyGuy: Rufus has a wide frame, especially around his chest, and thick, muscular arms. His legs, however, are short and comparatively thin.
* WeaponisedCar: With circular saws for wheels. And they use them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sergeant Blast & Private Meekley (Drivers of the Army Surplus Special)]]
!!Sergeant Blast & Private Meekley
!!!'''Car:''' Army Surplus Special (#6)
->''"Maneuvering for position is the Army Surplus Special."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sergeant_blast_and_private_meekley.jpg]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sergeant_blast_and_private_meekley_and_army_surplus_special.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The Army Surplus Special]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DawsButler (Sergeant Blast, 1968 cartoon), Creator/PaulWinchell (Private Meekley, 1968 cartoon), Creator/GregBurson (Sergeant Blast, 2000 video game), Creator/JimCummings1952 (Private Meekley, 2000 video game)
A pair of soldiers who drive in an armored half-track called the Army Surplus Special. The Sergeant uses "fire power" (i.e., shooting cannon balls from his turret), to power up the car.
----
* AbnormalAmmo: The Surplus Special can shoot different types of ammo, such as bubble gum to stop other racers.
* DrillSergeantNasty: Blast is loud, aggressive, and usually patronizing to Meekley.
* DubNameChange:
** Blast is Sargento Bombarda in Portuguese, Sergent Grosse-Pomme in France, and Gunsō Kakka (軍曹閣下) in Japan.
** Meekley is Soldat Petit-Pois in France and Shinpei-kun (新兵くん) in Japan.
** The Mexican dub changed the car's name to ''Super Chatarra Especial'' (Super Junk Special); it counts as CulturalTranslation, because army surplus is not a thing in Latin America.
* FatAndSkinny: Blast and Meekley, respectively.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Meekley's voice is based on Creator/JimNabors as Gomer Pyle from ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'' and ''Series/GomerPyleUSMC''.
* RecoilBoost: The Special can use its cannon to give it an extra boost in speed.
* SouthernFriedPrivate: Meekley has a noticeable Southern accent.
* TankGoodness: The Special is a half-track.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Ant Hill Mob (Drivers of the Bulletproof Bomb)]]
!!The Ant Hill Mob (Clyde, Ring-A-Ding, Rug Bug Benny, Mac, Danny, Kirby & Willy)
!!!'''Car:''' Bulletproof Bomb (#7)
->''"Right behind is the Ant Hill Mob in their Bulletproof Bomb."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_ant_hill_mob.gif]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_ant_hill_mob_and_the_bulletproof_bomb.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Bulletproof Bomb]]
->Voiced by: Creator/PaulWinchell (Clyde, 1968 cartoon), Creator/DonMessick (Ring-A-Ding, 1968 cartoon), Creator/JimCummings1952 (Clyde, 2000 video game)
A group of seven pint-sized 1920s-style gangsters composing of Clyde, their leader, Ring-A-Ding, Rug Bug Benny, Mac, Danny, Kirby and Willy who race in the Bulletproof Bomb. They are constantly preoccupied with getting caught by the police and are able to use "getaway power", which involves all members, except for Clyde, extending their legs through the bottom of the car and running.
----
* BankRobbery: When Dastardly uses a police siren to trick the other racers into stopping, Clyde tells his companions to remember their "alibi" for a bank robbery.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Clyde is based on Edward G. Robinson.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Except for Clyde and Ring-A-Ding (who was renamed Dum-Dum), all of them gain separate personalities once they appear in ''The Perils of Penelope Pitstop''.
* TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily: Considering they’re gangsters in a children’s cartoon, this should be obvious.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Clyde is somewhat an imitation of Creator/EdwardGRobinson.
* NoNameGiven: Clyde and Ring-A-Ding are the only ones named in-show. Supplementary material has the others named as Rug Bug Benny, Mac, Danny, Kirby, and Willy.
* PaperThinDisguise: Somehow, they always can fool the cops (and some of the racers) with obvious disguises. Only Dick Dastardly can tell it's still just them.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Supposedly gangsters, but spend all their time racing. Subverted in that they had trouble with the police at least once and were seen casting away quite a lot of loot to make their car lighter once. When this happened Ring-a-ding is clearly heard confirming the stuffs ill-gotten and wonders why anyone ever said crime pays as they toss the items away. This does suggest they are a bit more fond of racing than crime however...
* PunchClockVillain: As noted above, despite their gruff gangster personas, they do not come off as particularly evil. In one episode, they do not hesitate to rescue a Wood Scout from being swept over a waterfall, despite being in a hurry to get away from a sheriff.
* TheRoaringTwenties: The Bomb is a twenties sedan, and their dress sense is that of the stereotypical Prohibition gangster.
* RecoilBoost: One of their methods of going faster is firing their Tommy Guns out the back window. Typically, this goes poorly for whoever is unfortunate enough to be behind them.
* RunningOnTheSpot: Their "getaway power" has their legs and feet extend through the car's floor, for extra speed. When they start, they do the "whirl in place" cartoon thing.
* SolidCartoonFacialStubble: Each member of the Anthill Mob has a gray patch encircling their mouth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Prof. Pat Pending (Driver of the Convert-a-Car)]]
!!Prof. Pat Pending
!!!'''Car:''' Convert-a-Car (#3)
->''"And there's ingenious inventor Pat Pending in his Convert-a-Car."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_pat_pending.gif]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_pat_pending_and_the_convert_a_car.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Convert-a-Car]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DonMessick (1968 cartoon), Scott Innes (2000 video game)
An inventor in the Convert-a-Car. He can transform his car into pretty much anything that moves.
----
* AlliterativeName: '''P'''rofessor '''P'''at '''P'''ending.
* DudleyDoRightStopsToHelp: He frequently stops and uses his car's inventions to help the other racers, or uses it to deal with whatever trap Dastardly has set up.
* LaughingMad: ''Wacky Races Forever'' depicts him as a cackling lunatic. He does laugh a bit on occasions in the main series itself, but he's clearly capable of lucid thought there.
* MadScientist: Unworldly inventor of weird devices.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: The Convert-A-Car doesn't have any outright offensive weapons -- such as firing projectiles or laying traps -- in the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, but has a lot of transformations that provide protection (including a turtle shell, bumper car and bowling ball), making it a great defensive racer.
* PunnyName: "Pat. Pending" is an abbreviation for "Patent Pending".
* SecretCharacter: In the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, Pat is the first of the three boss racers, along with the Red Max and Dastardly & Muttley. You race him in Snow Top Drop, and you'll unlock him if you beat him twice.
* TransformingVehicle: The Convert-a-Car usually looks like a car/houseboat hybrid, but can turn into a wide range of ridiculous vehicles, including some that only qualify in the loosest definition (such as a bowling ball).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Penelope Pitstop (Driver of the Compact Pussycat)]]
!!Penelope Pitstop
!!!'''Car:''' Compact Pussycat (#5)
->''"Oh, and here's the lovely Penelope Pitstop, the glamour girl of the gas pedal."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:192:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/penelope_pitstop.jpg]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/penelope_pitstop_and_the_compact_pussycat.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Compact Pussycat]]
->Voiced by: Creator/JanetWaldo (1968 cartoon and 2000 video game), Creator/KathSoucie (''Wacky Races Forever'' pilot), Nicole Parker (2017)
The lone female, in a 1930s racing costume in the Compact Pussycat. A southern belle, Penelope is more concerned with her looks than with racing and often gets herself into trouble.
----
* ActionGirl: In "Idaho A-Go-Go", when lured by Dastardly into a Red Riding Hood trap, Dastardly has Muttley dress as the Wolf, and, as Grandma, asks her to hide in the closet. But she answers the door and gives everyone who answers, including Peter Perfect, the old FryingPanOfDoom.
* AffectionateNickname: She is called "Pretty Penny" for short, especially by Peter Perfect.
* AlliterativeName: '''P'''enelope '''P'''itstop.
* BreakoutCharacter: Like Dastardly and Muttley, Penelope is popular enough to get her own [[WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop spin-off series]].
* DependingOnTheWriter: She can be either a stereotypically useless Woman Driver or a very girly WrenchWench, depending on what the writer thought would be funnier at the time.
* DubNameChange: Changed in the Brazilian Portuguese Dub to "Penelope Charmosa" (Penelope Charming).
* {{Expy}}: Her counterpart in ''Film/TheGreatRace'' is Maggie Du Bois, played by Creator/NatalieWood.
* GirlyGirl: She's very stereotypically feminine.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female racer.
* SouthernBelle: Pretty and innocent, with a heavy Southern accent, with a tendency to use "little ol'" and "Ah do declare", and, of course, "Hay-ulp! Hay-ulp!"
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: A car with lipstick and big eyelashes.
* VerbalTic: Her heavy Southern accent aside, it'll be easier to count the times she ''doesn't'' describe something as "lil' ol'", including herself and other people.
* WomenDrivers: A few episodes have gags with her not knowing how to fix the car, doing make-up (or even '''showering''') at the wheel, cooking on the engine, and so forth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Slag Brothers (Drivers of the Bouldermobile)]]
!!The Slag Brothers (Rock and Gravel Slag)
!!!'''Car:''' Bouldermobile (#1)
->''"Next we have the Bouldermobile with the Slag Brothers: Rock and Gravel."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/slag_brothers.gif]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_slag_brothers_and_the_boldermobile.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Bouldermobile]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DawsButler (Rock Slag, 1968 cartoon), Creator/DonMessick (Gravel Slag, 1968 cartoon), Creator/JimCummings1952 (2000 video game)
Two cavemen, Rock and Gravel, who drive in the Bouldermobile. Their car is made out of rock, the brothers, who talk in caveman-like gibberish but with occasional intelligible words, power it up by hitting it with their clubs and are also able to re-build it from bare rock, always using their clubs.
----
* ContemporaryCaveman: Hairy guys in loincloths, in a stone car.
* PercussiveMaintenance: Constantly hitting their car and each other with their clubs.
* PrimitiveClubs: They wield big wooden clubs, which serve as their main way of powering up their car (by hitting it to make it move) and to make replacements for it (by hitting rocks with their clubs until they're roughly car-shaped).
* StonePunk: Their car appears to be just a rock on wheels.
* TheUnintelligible: Their usual conversations are mumbles or {{Angrish}}, sometimes with the last couple of words comprehensible.
* WouldntHitAGirl: When one of the brothers is about to hit a passing Penelope with a club, the other stops him and hits him with his club.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Gruesome Twosome (Drivers of the Creepy Coupe)]]
!!The Gruesome Twosome (Big Gruesome & Little Gruesome)
!!!'''Car:''' Creepy Coupe (#2)
->''"Lurching along is the Creepy Coupe with the Gruesome Twosome."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gruesome_twosome.gif]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_gruesome_twosome_and_the_creepy_coupe.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Creepy Coupe]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DawsButler (Big Gruesome, 1968 cartoon), Creator/DonMessick (Little Gruesome, 1968 cartoon), Creator/JimCummings1952 (Big Gruesome, 2000 video game), Creator/BillyWest (Little Gruesome, 2000 video game)
Two monsters, Big Gruesome and Little Gruesome who race in the Creepy Coupe. Their horror-themed car includes a small belfry tower inhabited by a fire-breathing dragon, bats and other creatures.
----
* BiggerOnTheInside: The small belfry of their car houses a gigantic dragon and sea serpent.
* BigGuyLittleGuy: Big Gruesome and Little Gruesome, obviously.
* CaptainErsatz: Of [[Series/TheMunsters Herman Munster and Grandpa]]—a big phlegmatic FrankensteinsMonster and a creepy little vampire.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite their macabre nature, they're actually among the racers who are more likely to help their competitors out of trouble. Justified in that the Creepy Coupe is behind only the Convert-a-Car and the Mean Machine in terms of resources; Pat Pending will usually help everyone else with gusto and ease, whereas Dick Dastardly... well, won't.
* EyesOutOfSight: Big Gruesome has a Beatles hairdo that completely hides his eyes.
* KarloffKopy: Big Gruesome emulates Creator/BorisKarloff.
* LorreLookalike: Little Gruesome sounds like Creator/PeterLorre.
* MonsterMash: Big Gruesome is a FrankensteinsMonster, Little Gruesome is a vampire, and their car also houses ghosts, a WickedWitch, a dragon and a sea serpent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Red Max (Driver of the Crimson Haybaler)]]
!!The Red Max
!!!'''Car:''' Crimson Haybaler (#4)
->''"And right on their tail is the Red Max."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_red_max.gif]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_red_max_and_the_crimson_haybaler.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Crimson Haybaler]]
->Voiced by: Creator/DawsButler (1968 cartoon), Creator/GregBurson (2000 video game)
A Manfred von Richthofen-styled aviator who speaks with a German accent, in a car/biplane hybrid called the Crimson Haybailer. His vehicle is able to fly, although for short distances.
----
* AcePilot: Max's appearance and vehicle are themed on World War I fighter pilots and post-WWI barnstormers, and uses a lot of aviation slang and terminology in his dialogue.
* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: In the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, the Haybailer's machine gun actually fires paintballs, and the car can also directly launch its propeller as a homing projectile.
* FlyingCar: The Crimson Haybailer is a downplayed version of this in the cartoon, in that it can jump and temporarily fly, but not for very long. Played straight in the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, in which [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter it's the only vehicle that flies all the time]] and has a power-up to temporarily drive on the ground instead.
* FunnyForeigner: Has a weird Franco-German accent.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: The Crimson Haybailer is this in the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game. It's always hovering just off the ground—like the other racers temporarily can when using a power-up that grants flight—so it has minimal traction, but can easily circumnavigate terrains such as deep water to clear gaps and use shortcuts. It also gets a power-up that causes it to temporarily land and drive on the ground; the polar opposite to all the other cars.
* SecretCharacter: In the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, Max is the second of the three boss racers, along with Pat Pending and Dastardly & Muttley. You race him in Wood Stockade, and you'll unlock him if you beat him twice.
* ShoutOut: Red Max's name is a reference to ''Film/TheBlueMax'', a 1966 film about a German Flying Ace.
* WhatAPieceOfJunk: The Haybailer straddles the line between this and TheAllegedCar. It is an old fashioned plane-based car that can fly... just not terribly well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lazy Luke & Blubber Bear (Drivers of the Arkansas Chuggabug)]]
!!Lazy Luke & Blubber Bear
!!!'''Car:''' Arkansas Chuggabug (#8)
->''"And there's the Arkansas Chuggabug with Luke and Blubber Bear."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lazy_luke_and_blubber_bear.jpg]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lazy_luke_and_blubber_bear_and_the_arkansas_chuggabug.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The Arkansas Chuggabug]]
->Voiced by: Creator/JohnStephenson
Lazy Luke, a hillbilly, and Blubber Bear, a fearful, timid bear, drive in the Arkansas Chugabug. Luke maneuvers the steering wheel with his feet and his car is steam-powered from an old and rickety boiler.
----
* AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal: Blubber wears a blue helmet with goggles and a green scarf.
* AlliterativeName:
** '''L'''azy '''L'''uke.
** '''B'''lubber '''B'''ear.
* BambooTechnology: Not quite as bad as the Slag Brothers or Rufus Ruffcut, but their car is powered by a steam boiler made out of an old-fashioned potbellied stove. One episode reveals that their engine is assisted by a squirrel on an exercise wheel.
* BearyFunny: Blubber may be a bear, but he's hardly scary.
* DirtyCoward: Blubber, as his name implies, is a nervous wreck, panicking whenever the slightest thing goes wrong and usually doing very little to help. Luke puts up with it as best he can, but he does yell at Blubber a few times.
* EyesAlwaysShut: Luke almost always has his eyes closed, even while driving.
* FatAndSkinny: Blubber and Luke, in that order.
* TheFool: Luke steers with his bare feet and almost always has his eyes shut, yet rarely crashes.
* HayseedName: Luke, obviously.
* HillbillyMoonshiner: At least two episodes imply that Lazy Luke is a moonshiner. He displays a jug at the start of "The Great Cold Rush Race", and another episode has him mistaking Dick Dastardly's siren for that of the revenuers.
* NonHumanSidekick: Blubber is a bear.
* PunnyName: Their car, the "Chuggabug", is a play on words of the "Doodlebug", a colloquial term for improvised tractors made out of old cars, popular during the 1940's due to [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo the war]] making factory-produced tractors in short supply. Much like Doodlebugs, the Chuggabug appears to be an older Ford Model-T or similar car with a custom body in place of its chassis.
* SpeechImpairedAnimal: Blubber mostly just whimpers in terror.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dick Dastardly & Muttley (Drivers of the Mean Machine)]]
!!Dick Dastardly & Muttley
!!!'''Car:''' Mean Machine (#00)
->''"Sneaking along last is that Mean Machine with those double-dealing do-badders, Dick Dastardly and his sidekick Muttley. And even now they're up to some dirty trick. And they're off! To a standing start. And why not? They've been chained to a post by shifty Dick Dastardly... who shifts into the wrong gear."''
-->-- '''The Announcer'''
[[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/muttley_and_dastardly.JPG]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dick_dastardly_and_muttley_and_the_mean_machine.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Mean Machine]]

->'''Dastardly voiced by:''' Creator/PaulWinchell (1968 cartoon), Creator/JimCummings1952 (2000 video game, ''Wacky Races Forever'' pilot, and ''Wacky Races: Crash and Dash'' for Wii and DS), Creator/PeterWoodward (2017), Creator/JasonIsaacs (''WesternAnimation/{{Scoob}}'')
->'''Muttley voiced by:''' Creator/DonMessick (1968 cartoon, ''SCOOB!''[[labelnote:*]]the laugh only[[/labelnote]]), Creator/BillyWest (2000 video game, ''Wacky Races Forever'' pilot, ''Wacky Races: Crash and Dash'' for Wii and DS, the 2017 version and ''SCOOB!'')
The villains of the series, Dick Dastardly and his dog sidekick Muttley are in the Mean Machine, which is a purple, rocket-powered car with an abundance of concealed weapons and the ability to fly. Dastardly's usual race strategy revolves around using the Mean Machine's great speed to get ahead of the other racers, and then setting a trap to stop them and maintain the lead; but most of his plans backfire, causing him to fall back into last place. Dastardly (almost) never sees victory.
----
* AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal: Muttley wears a red collar.
* AlliterativeName: '''D'''ick '''D'''astardly.
* {{Angrish}}: When not snickering, Muttley's dialogue mainly consists of muttered grumbling such as "Sassarassafrassa..."
* BreakoutCharacter: Dick Dastardly and Muttley are easily two of ''Wacky Races''' most notable characters, enough that the two got [[WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines their own series]], a recurring villain role in ''WesternAnimation/YogisTreasureHunt'' and ''WesternAnimation/YoYogi'', and they are the main villains of ''Ride/TheFuntasticWorldOfHannaBarbera'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Scoob}}''. The two also almost always show up in revival efforts or similar Hanna-Barbera racing series (with one of the outliers being ''WesternAnimation/LaffALympics'', which couldn't use Dastardly due to legal issues).
* BrilliantButLazy: Implied with Dick, who is a genuinely good racer but would rather cheat than win fairly.
* ButtMonkey: Dick is '''constantly''' getting injured and humiliated.
* CardCarryingVillain:
** Their car is called the ''Mean'' Machine, highlighting their pride in being villains.
** In the ''Wacky Races Forever'' pilot, Muttley sensibly points out that they are three feet away from the finish line. Does Dick listen? Of course not! He proudly declares that they are villains; therefore, they have to cheat.
* CartoonCreature: According to "Dash to Delaware", Muttley is a mixed breed of bloodhound, pointer, Airedale and "hunting dog", but doesn't show any characteristics of those breeds.
* CharacterCatchphrase:
** Dick Dastardly's "Drat, drat and double drat!", and "Muttley, do something!!!"
** Muttley's EvilLaugh.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Dick Dastardly is based on the English actor Terry-Thomas.
* CoolCar: The Mean Machine, naturally. Not only does it look badass, it's also a high-tech, jet-propelled armored car with lots of hidden weapons at its disposal, enough to give the Batmobile a run for its money.
* ContractualGenreBlindness: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwgp4vr35t8 unaired pilot]] for ''Wacky Racers Forever'' reveals this is Dick Dastardly's motivation for invoking DickDastardlyStopsToCheat.
-->'''Dastardly''': We are ''villains''. ''Ergo'', we ''have'' to '''cheat!'''
* DastardlyWhiplash: The joint TropeNamer, mixing the mustache, Edwardian style, and parodic [[CardCarryingVillain Card-Carrying Villainy]].
* ADayInTheLimelight: In [[VideoGame/WackyRaces1991 the NES game]], [[VillainProtagonist Muttley is the playable character]], and the goal of the game is to rescue Dastardly. The Wacky Racers serve as the game's bosses.
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: TropeNamer, as he constantly wastes time trying to set traps for people when he has a legitimate lead.
* ADickInName: ''Dick'' Dastardly is the villainous member in the cast, [[CardCarryingVillain and proud of it, too]].
* TheDogBitesBack: A literal example; Muttley will take physical abuse from Dastardly just so far before he bites back, and he enjoys it, too. Not just in ''Wacky Races'', but also in ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'' and ''WesternAnimation/YogisTreasureHunt''.
* DubNameChange:
** The Spanish dub renamed Dastardly as Pierre Nodoyuna ([[PunnyName from "no doy una", meaning "I can't get anything right"]], a reference to his cheating constantly backfiring on him) and gave him a French accent, while Muttley was named Patán ("Lout").
** The Brazilian Portuguese dub changed his name to Dick Vigarista ("Dick Crook"), though Muttley remained the same.
** Muttley and him are respectively called Diabolo and Satanas in all of the French dubs.
** In Japan, Dick Dastardly is "Black Demon King (ブラック魔王)", while Muttley is "Kenken (ケンケン)".
* {{Expy}}:
** Dastardly's villainous habits, personality and costume are based on Professor Fate from ''Film/TheGreatRace''.
** And later on, H-B had to create a few expies of this guy for various other shows to use, chiefly because of legal issues with [[Creator/MerrillHeatter Heatter-Quigley]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Muttley seems to be the least mean of the duo, as Dick's cheating has gotten to the point he tries to warn him that cheating is a ''very'' bad idea.
* {{Expy}}: His counterpart in ''Film/TheGreatRace'' is Professor Fate, portrayed by Creator/JackLemmon.
* FrenchJerk: The Latin American translation turned him into one, with the name "Pierre Nodoyuna" and the MauriceChevalierAccent and occasional GratuitousFrench to boot.
* HarmlessVillain: Too incompetent to actually harm anyone.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Really, when you get down to it, Dick should've won every single race out there. His car is faster, stronger, and more versatile than almost everyone else's, and there's a good argument to be made that he's also the best racer among them. If only his mind wasn't plagued with such a self-destructive obsession to cheat...
* TheHyena: Muttley's signature snicker.
* {{Irony}}: Dick would have probably won every single race he participated in if he didn't [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat stop to cheat]] (see HisOwnWorstEnemy above for details).
* LastNameBasis: Dick Dastardly is either referred to by this or [[FullNameBasis by his full name]], but never by his first.
* {{Leitmotif}}: A fast-paced Vaudevillian piano track usually played when he was trying to cheat while driving.
* LightningBruiser: In the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, the Mean Machine is among the fastest vehicles and has great acceleration—along with a good spread of weapons—but had the worst handling.
* MeaningfulName: A name like "Dick Dastardly" doesn't exactly sound heroic.
* MeaninglessVillainVictory: Most notably the race where Dastardly and Muttley crossed the finish line first, fair and square... while driving the wrong car, thus disqualifying themselves and the others who were swapped in the home stretch. Played straight in a few other post series appearances where they do win, but there's usually a catch.
* NearVillainVictory: ''Constantly'', due to their own actions, like a trap backfiring or stopping for a victory pose inches from the finish line. Muttley often tries to warn Dick that cheating won't work, but he never listens.
* NeverMyFault: He usually blames his losses on Muttley. "Muttley, this is all ''your'' fault!" On occasion, he's actually right thanks to MistreatmentInducedBetrayal.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He was inspired by Creator/TerryThomas.
* NonHumanSidekick: Muttley is a dog.
* ObviouslyEvil: [[SmugSnake Smug]] grin, stereotypical [[DastardlyWhiplash villainous mustache]], and [[CardCarryingVillain his car of choice is the]] ''[[CardCarryingVillain Mean]]'' [[CardCarryingVillain Machine]]—Dastardly [[DownplayedTrope isn't "evil" per se]], but he's clearly not a good guy.
* OnlySaneMan: ZigZagged in bizzare fashion—compulsive cheating aside, Dastardly and Muttley are the most likely to [[HowIsThatEvenPossible note the ludicrousness of other racer's antics]], see through lame tricks like the Ant Hill Mob's [[PaperThinDisguise Paper-Thin Disguises]], and point out that everyone ''else'' is technically cheating too.
* ReusedCharacterDesign: Muttley is based after Mugger from ''WesternAnimation/HeyThereItsYogiBear'', though Muttley would become the more-recognized of the two, eventually being recycled himself into Mumbly.
* RoguesGalleryTransplant: Both of them go through antagonizing different Hanna-Barbera heroes from Yogi Bear to Scooby Doo.
* ScaryTeeth: In ''Wacky Races Forever'', Dastardly's teeth look ghastly and neglected.
* SecretCharacter: In the Dreamcast/[=PS2=] game, Dastardly & Muttley are the last of the three boss racers, along with Pat Pending and the Red Max. You race them in Up Sand Downs, and you'll unlock them if you beat them twice... [[NintendoHard and complete]] ''[[NintendoHard a whole lot]]'' [[NintendoHard of challenges along the way]]. It's absolutely worth it to unlock them just to hear the disgusted/bewildered reactions of the commentator when they win.
* SmugSnake: Dastardly is far too confident in his (lack of) cheating capabilities for his own good.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Muttley constantly sabotages Dick's plans just to mess with him.
* SpeechImpairedAnimal: Muttley's mutterings, giggles and growls are probably the TropeCodifier. Although he occasionally has a few moments of speaking, notably in "Mish Mash Missouri Dash", when Dastardly instructs him to put the Mean Machine back together, after his trademark {{Angrish}} grumbling, he begins muttering in the style of the song "Dem Bones", "Grrrrseddasassarassa, Da side bolt connected to da front bolt... da front bolt connected to da back bolt... da back bolt connected to da neck bolt... da rrrr...."
* ThrowTheDogABone: Never in the main series, but on a few occasions in spinoffs they manage to win races (in spite of their best efforts) generally through things like the other competitors being eliminated by their own misfortunes on the race course.
* VillainProtagonist: Gets the most screentime out of all the racers.
[[/folder]]
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->''"And away they go! On the way-out Wacky Races!"''