Photo: Classic Auto Mall
Back in the 1960s, the muscle car wars were about to start in America, while in a very far away land called Japan, the Speed Racer was born. Coming into the world at first in print form, the idea morphed into an anime series that originally aired in 1976 and 1968 and proved immensely popular.
Speed Racer, or Mach GoGoGo by its Japanese title, told the story of a young race driver called Go Mifune at the wheel of a car called Mach 5. The machine was way ahead of its time and packed with high-tech gadgetry that could be deployed at the touch of a button to help the driver achieve his goals.
With the custom world being as it is, people have tried to replicate the Mach 5 in real life over the years, and some have succeeded better than others. One car, in particular, seemed more than a right fit for the real-life incarnation of the anime car, the Chevrolet Corvette.
Kind of like this one here, a 1979 Vette that has been massaged into looking as close as the Mach 5 as possible. It boasts all sorts of tribute elements all over: a big red M up front, the number 5 on the doors, and Speed Racer lettering out back.
The changes that had to be made to the Corvette to make it a right replica of the anime car are quite extensive, and a lot of fiberglass was used to completely reshape the front and rear end, giving the Corvette the telltale Mach 5 look.
The interior is particularly appealing, with a deep red vinyl used everywhere except on the center console. There are two high back bucket seats in there, ready to receive driver and passenger.
The car rides on 15-inch wheels shod in BFGoodrich tires, and it moves along under the power of a 350ci (5.7-liter) engine tied to a 3-speed automatic transmission.
We dug this Mach 5 up on the lot of cars sold by Classic Auto Mall. It is listed as being unused and going for $86,900.
With the custom world being as it is, people have tried to replicate the Mach 5 in real life over the years, and some have succeeded better than others. One car, in particular, seemed more than a right fit for the real-life incarnation of the anime car, the Chevrolet Corvette.
Kind of like this one here, a 1979 Vette that has been massaged into looking as close as the Mach 5 as possible. It boasts all sorts of tribute elements all over: a big red M up front, the number 5 on the doors, and Speed Racer lettering out back.
The changes that had to be made to the Corvette to make it a right replica of the anime car are quite extensive, and a lot of fiberglass was used to completely reshape the front and rear end, giving the Corvette the telltale Mach 5 look.
The interior is particularly appealing, with a deep red vinyl used everywhere except on the center console. There are two high back bucket seats in there, ready to receive driver and passenger.
The car rides on 15-inch wheels shod in BFGoodrich tires, and it moves along under the power of a 350ci (5.7-liter) engine tied to a 3-speed automatic transmission.
We dug this Mach 5 up on the lot of cars sold by Classic Auto Mall. It is listed as being unused and going for $86,900.
Google News