hirty-three years ago, an animated Japanese television series captured the hearts of
youngsters worldwide. That show was Speed Racer, and it featured the
Racer family's Team Go in their attempts to win competitions using a car hand-built
by the head of the team, Pops Racer. Against Pops' will, his young son
Speed is the star of the racing circuit, nearly undefeated in the fabulous
and world-famous Mach 5. A third of a century later, the show still has a large
following, with merchandise, books, comics and videotapes seemingly more
available now than ever.
In early 1999, Resaurus released a series of 5-inch figures, including Speed,
Pops and Trixie, Speed's ever-present girlfriend. This was followed later
by a second series of figures, and in June of 2000 the Mach 5 landed on toy
shelves in limited quantities. They were difficult to find, and quickly
zoomed off the shelves.
The open-top car measures over 15 inches in length and is a sleek, accurate
representation of the cartoon vehicle. Included in the playset are a clear
canopy cap for "submarine" adventures, two saw-blades that protrude from the
front grille, four spring-loaded jacks that fit into the car's
undercarriage and an air-launched probe, as well as two exclusive figures,
Spritle, Speed's little brother, and Chim Chim, their pet monkey who always
seem to stow away in the trunk of the Mach 5 at the most inopportune times.
They also stow a picnic basket with them for those emergencies that require
food.
The car features a turning steering wheel, a detailed matte-painted cockpit
interior, sturdy rubber tires, a pop-up periscope and a trunk capable of
storing some, but not all, of the accessories. The cockpit fits
Speed and Trixie, or Speed with Spritle and
Chim Chim.
A sleek playset from anime's birth
There are numerous positive aspects of this toy, from the sleek, accurate
design, all-rubber wheels, tough, sturdy construction and a nicely painted
interior, including the numeric pad on the steering column that in the show
is used to activate the Mach 5's hidden features, to the detailed
undercarriage, spring-loaded jacks that are used to simulate the Mach 5's
impressive ability to leap other vehicles and rotating saw-blades also
featured in the series.
The trunk opens, allowing for the storage of the four spring-loaded jacks,
the picnic basket and the aerial probe, but not the saw-blades. If display
room is not a problem, the blades may be left attached to the front of the
car. However, they are brittle and break easily, so this may not be the
best plan. The periscope raises a meager quarter inch, but at least it gets the point across,
while the the swing-wing aerial probe seems practically useless.
Trixie fits comfortably in the passenger seat, but Speed has to be seated
carefully, as he makes for a tight squeeze under the steering wheel. His
hands fit perfectly around the wheel, however, and once the figures are in
place, the clear canopy cap snaps snugly over the open-top cockpit.
The canopy cap comes carefully hidden in the clear-plastic packing, so a
good careful look is necessary to avoid accidentally tossing it into the
trash with the box.
As a pioneering entry into an entertainment genre which would later become
known as anime, the TV show Speed Racer has much to be proud of, and
now Resaurus can be proud as well, for producing one of the finest pieces of
merchandise based around the 1967 cult classic in decades .
