Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch

1 9 7 4 – 1 9 7 5 (USA)
39 x 30 minute episodes

Wheelie was a red Volkswagen Beetle who made his living as a professional racing and stunt car. Unlike the other characters in the show, Wheelie did not talk but communicated by honking and displaying symbols across his windshield, showing his inner thoughts, such as a heart for love – mostly for his girlfriend, Rota Ree – or a lightbulb for an idea.

Wheelie could also produce any form of prop needed from his trunk with the use of special mechanical hands (much like Inspector Gadget later would).

His nemeses were a four-member wild-riding motorcycle gang called the Chopper Bunch, which included the leader Chopper (who was jealous of Wheelie and had a spiked motorcycle helmet for a head), Revs (a sputtering three-wheeled motorcycle who often mixed up his words), Hi-Riser (who was tall in body but short in brains), and Scrambles (a small mini bike who acted like a good kid caught up with the wrong crowd).

Scrambles would constantly try to warn Chopper that his plans were about to backfire, only to be rebuffed (“Muffle it, Scrambles!”) and end up taunting his sullen leader once they inevitably did.

Trying to keep the Chopper Bunch in line were Captain Tough, a hulking Police car, and Fishtail, a motorcycle cop (or rather, cop motorcycle).

This series of 30-minute cartoons from Hanna-Barbera screened on NBC at 8:30 am on Saturday mornings (before Emergency +4 and Run, Joe, Run).

Wheelie/Chopper
Frank Welker
Rota Ree
Judy Strangis
Scrambles/Deputy Fishtail
Don Messick
Revs
Paul Winchell
High Riser
Lenny Weinrib