Car Mechanics Should Know This List of the Greatest Cartoon Automobiles

As the weather grows colder, there’s nothing like curling up with an old cartoon and a cup of nostalgia. If you’re a car buff, you may base your ‘toon choices at least partly on how cool the cars are. Who can blame you? The fantasy world of animation allows for some pretty crazy vehicles. Whether you remember your favourite cars for their bright colours, imaginary mechanics or the lovable characters that ride in them, every auto professional has their favourites from Saturday morning marathons. Read on for a list of some of the best cartoon cars of all time!

Becoming a Mechanic in the Flintstones Universe Might Include Foot Care

The Flintstones Footmobile is one of the most fun cartoon cars. It’s easy to imagine powering along with your own bare feet driving the action, with the similarities this car has to outdoor toys. Some ‘90s kids may have even raced a color-changing Hot Wheel replica of the car.
The Footmobile was powered by Fred Flinstone’s quick-as-lightning feet, running along the ground as he sat in the structure with his passengers. The floorless creation was made primarily of rock and wood, which would be quite a headache to deal with in an auto shop. If you’re becoming a mechanic, you know that this is a far cry from carbon steel or aluminum. Not that there’s much to work on in this car—with no power steering or parts other than a bare bones frame and wheels, the simplicity of this vehicle is almost as charming as using a prehistoric bird for a phone.

Cloudmobiles Would Have Car Mechanics With Their Jaws on the Floor

The Care Bears was the epitome of magical, colourful, friendly storytelling for children in the 1980s. The fluffy fantasy cars in the series were known as Cloudmobiles, and fully in line with these themes. Flying through the Kingdom of Caring, these vehicles consisted of a cloud bottom and either four wheels and a regular car-like shape, or a more alternative shape with a single rainbow ring running through the centre, referred to as a “Rainbowroller”.
These soft cars make the list for their imaginative design that would have any car mechanic scratching their head if asked for maintenance. Would you simply plunge your hand through the cloud to get to the engine?

The Gadgetmobile Would Be a Pretty Fun Project for a Car Mechanic

For those who indulged in Inspector Gadget, the Gadgetmobile was quite something. Similar to a souped-up DeLorean, this car packed two different vehicle modes for Inspector Gadget, Penny and Brian’s adventures. In van mode, Gadget would head to everyday destinations for normal excursions. In police car mode, things got real. Just like its driver, the Gadgetmobile had a Swiss army knife level of options.
Police mode enabled gadgets like laughing gas (or “hilarious gas”, as it was referred to). Chasing baddies got easier with a claw that could reach and grab from the front of the vehicle. This was the mode for saving us all from crime.

Cartoon Ecto-1 Deserves Mention Though the Film Version is More Famous

Despite its original big screen incarnation receiving more attention in the live action Ghostbusters, the Ecto-1 in The Real Ghostbusters, a cartoon show, was an ‘80s treasure in itself. In season three, Winston took over the cartoon car’s maintenance and ended up seriously upgrading it. Some of these enhancements included a hood ornament with the Ghostbusters logo, spotlights, a supernatural energy detector on the roof called the Di-Variable Universal, and a water raft.
The Ecto-1 makes the list for its iconic status, as a timeless symbol of childhood fantasy, good vs. pesky evil and the idea that anybody can be a hero in their own way.