One of the things that I always noticed about cartoon characters is their cars.
The cars are really background pieces, but they are a fundamental part of the cartoon guys’ lives.
In a world of complete fantasy where cartoon characters are really-really hard to kill, their love of cars is the one true thing in their fabricated TV lives.
The pioneer in car/cartoon guy world bonds had to be Fred Flintstone, a rock solid guy from a prehistoric world that seemed a lot like the early 60s of sit-com world.
It was always pretty obvious Fred was not particularly ambitious, and he wasn’t that bright. However, he knew a good set of wheels when he saw them and his car was a state of the art ride in its day.
Bear in mind that Fred’s day was an era when oil was still a living blend of prehistoric plant and animal life, so most of the car’s propulsion was provided by Fred’s 2 good feet.
There never seemed to be a place for (or actual evidence of) an engine in Fred’s ride, but he did make a few stops at gas stations for a mystery fuel.
One would guess that the fuel was not toxic because it was delivered by mastodon gas pumps.
The car’s brake system was all Fred– he hit the pavement with his bare feet and presumably could stop on a dime. The routine ejection of an unbuckled Fred or Barney from the front seat of Fred’s car indicates the Freddy foot binders worked pretty well.
The next cartoon car on the radar screen is the purple car made famous by Homer Simpson. Homer’s car was a bit of a beater and its signature crumpled right fender was probably created by a drive home by Homer after yet another night in Moe’s tavern.
Homer already had a DUI conviction after a misadventure at the Duff brewery and he is no stranger to the justice system.
The car itself appears to be a large American sedan from the 70s or 80s and it has been hauling Homer and his family around for over 20 years. The kids never grow up, the dog and cat never die, and Homer will never get the dent fixed in his purple car.
No matter, Homer looks like a good candidate for another DUI– seven nights a week at Moe’s will ensure that prospect. Maybe then he will be pulled off the road for good.
The last cartoon car is a large black SUV driven by American Dad’s Stan Smith. The vehicle approximates a typical vehicle found in a Secret Service entourage; which should be no surprise because Stan works for the CIA.
Mainly Stan loves his SUV because it represents his vision of four-wheeled machismo. Real men don’t eat quiche and they don’t drive compact tree-hugger cars.
But the million- dollar question for Stan should be the disturbing life of Roger the alien- a bizarre space creature with huge sexual identity issues living with Stan and his family. No car on this planet is going to change that cat.
So which car is the best buy if any of these cartoon guys were in a seller’s mood? It has to be Fred’s ride.
Antique automobiles from celebrity cavemen will bring top dollar at Barrett-Jackson.
Jim Sutherland
Many less famous but actual cars at https://www.mystarcollectorcar.com/
