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Speed Racer is an English adaptation of the Japanese anime Mach GoGoGo (マッハGoGoGo, Mahha GōGōGō?) which centered on automobile racing. The series is an early example of an anime becoming a successful franchise in the United States.

The characters and storylines originated in Japan as the manga and anime series Mach GoGoGo, from the anime studio Tatsunoko Productions.

Mach GoGoGo was first created and designed by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida (1932–1977) as a manga series in the 1960s and made the jump to TV as an anime series in 1967. The central character in the anime and manga was a young race car driver named Gō Mifune (Mifune Gō). Yoshida selected the names and symbolism in his creation very carefully. The large red M on the hood of the Mach 5, which in North America was assumed to stand for "Mach 5," is actually the emblem of Mifune Motors, the family business. That is also the origin of the "M" on Gō's helmet. This was an homage to Japanese film star Toshiro Mifune. His given name, Gō, is also a Japanese homophone for the number 5 (the number on his race car). This is also represented by the yellow letter G embroidered on his short-sleeve blue shirt.

The name of the series, Mach GoGoGo is actually a triple entendre: as mentioned, it stands for the number 5, i.e. it is the name of the car, the Mach 5; it is the name of the main character; and it contains the English word "go." Taken together, the program's title thus translates as, "Mach 5, Gō Mifune, Go!" The names themselves constitute a multi-lingual wordplay of the kind that had started to become part of the Japanese popular culture of the time.

Yoshida got his idea for Speed Racer after seeing two films that were very popular in Japan at the time, Viva Las Vegas and Goldfinger. By combining the look of Elvis Presley's race-car driving image, complete with neckerchief and black pompadour, and James Bond's gadget-filled Aston Martin, Yoshida had the inspiration for his creation.

The English rights to Mach GoGoGo were immediately acquired by American syndicator Trans-Lux. The main character Gō Mifune was given the name "Speed Racer" in the English version. A major editing and dubbing effort was undertaken by producer Peter Fernandez, who also provided the voices of many of the characters, most notably Racer X and Speed Racer himself. Fernandez was also responsible for a rearrangement of the theme song's melody and subsequently wrote its English lyrics.

In a 2008 interview with Chicago Tribune DVD columnist Louis R. Carlozo, Fernandez recalled that he landed the job working on "Speed Racer" after ghost-writing scripts for "Astro-Boy" and "Gigantor." Simultaneously with "Speed Racer," Fernandez also voiced the main character and wrote scripts for another anime series, "Marine Boy," sometimes taping both shows in the same day in New York City. Fernandez also said he could not possibly have predicted "Speed Racer's" lasting appeal at the time or in the decades that followed. Reflecting on the series' staying power, he commented: "There was the family relationship. You knew about Speed's family, you knew them well. They were all involved in each race. And we all play with cars as little kids, we love cars. The Mach 5 was a hot car, and there all sorts of cars throughout all episodes. I still think the Mach Five is ahead of its time."

In an effort to squeeze the complicated plotlines into existing lip movements, the frenetic pace of the dubbing made Speed Racer famous-—and famously parodied-—for its quirky "fast" dialogue.

In the early 1990s the series made a comeback as reruns on MTV broadcast in the early morning hours. Several years later, Cartoon Network would broadcast the series in late afternoon (and later on in late night/overnight) programming. The series was distributed in the 1990s by Group W's international unit, but with all mentions of Trans-Lux Television deleted from the show's opening sequence.

Toni Fritsch kicked a 36-yard field goal to send the cow boys ahead again 10-7 early in the second quarter, but the Steelers came right back as Bradshaw connected with Swann for 53 yards on a key play that helped set up a 36-yard field goal attempt right before the half ended. But kicker Roy Gerela failed to convert as his 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the left, leaving the score 10-7 at the half.

The second half started with another missed field goal by Gerela, this one from 33 yards out. But Pittsburgh finally got their big break about four minutes into the fourth quarter. Reserve running back Reggie Harrison blocked a Dallas punt, which rolled out of the end zone for a Steeler safety, cutting the Cowboys' lead to 10-9.

After the free kick, the Steelers drove to the Dallas 20, from where Gerela connected on a 36-yard field goal, putting Pittsburgh ahead 12-10. Steelers' safety Mike Wagner quickly intercepted Staubach on the next drive and returned the ball to the Cowboy's, seven-yard line. Gerela's 18-yard field goal made it 15-10.

With 3:02 remaining, Bradsaw hit Swann for 64 yards and a touchdown that put the Steelers up by two scores, but this time the Cowboys came right back with a score of their own. Staubach hit Percey Howard with a 34-yard touchdown pass that cut the lead to four. After their defense held, the Cowboys received one last shot and quickly moved to the Steelers' 38-yard line. But after two incompletions, Staubach was intercepted by safety Glen Edwards, who returned it to the Pittsburgh 33 as time ran out.

One of the great things about Harley-Davidson is the serial number identification nomenclature. One look at "the numbers" can tell you a heck of a lot about that particular motorcycle. You can determine year of manufacture, model number, place in the production run, and so on and so forth. In past issues if American Iron Magazine we have covered this topic in detail. These articles are a good reference for deciphering your Harley-Davidson.

I bring up the topic of naming because our feature bike this month is a 1977 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLT. You have no doubt heard of the XL and XLCH, both standard issue Sportsters. And maybe you've even heard of the XLCR, which was the Sportster (XL), Café Racer (CR), but did you ever hear of an XLT? The T stood for Tourer, and Harley did, in fact, manufacture a Sportster Tourer in 1977. This is a very rare bike - only 1,099 units were built. It is so rare, in fact, that even the archives have very little on this model.

A January 28, 2003, letter to the owner of our feature bike, Terry Brown of Fridley , Minnesota , perpetuates the mystery. "The 1977 XLT was not a standard production model that year, consequently, we have virtually no information on it. It doesn't appear in the literature or even the retail price list. We have only photocopies of a few pictures," writes Harley-Davidson Archivist Tom Bolfert.

"It had a Super Glide gas tank, compact windshield and a larger seat than a regular Sportster," continues Bolfert. "The tank logos are the same as the other 1977 models. We don't have any history on the individual bikes. A total production of 1,099 XLTs were build in 1977."

Although the XLT never appeared in advertisements or sales literature, it was pictured in the factory repair manual. A lot of stories have sprouted up about this bike and its origins. One interesting theory states that it was initially intended as a police model, a smaller, more versatile unit for traffic control work, and a competitor to the Kawasaki KZ100 that was gaining popularity at the time. As of this writing, that theory is unverified, but it falls into the intriguing realm of possibilities. Other Sportster "experts" have actually discounted that H-D ever made a touring Sportster in the 1970s, but here we have proof that it in fact did.

Terry was able to track down a June 1977 road test of the XLT in the British publication Motor Cycle Mechanic. The test bike was apparently a consignment machine to the UK dealers, and the author was fairly impressed with the XLT. He closed his review with, "In terms of performance alone, the XLT could never be worth two and a quarter thousand pounds, and yet this living legend has an indefinable magic no other bike possesses." High praises from the otherwise stuffy British motorcycle press of the 1970s.

In further researching the bike in preparation for its restoration, Terry contacted Kirk at Sporty Specialties in Fullerton , California , who knew of the XLTs and had salvaged a few in the 1980s and '90s. He mentioned that many of these bikes ended up at Harley dealerships across the country and were stripped of their bags, windshields, etcetera, and then sold as standard Sportsters when they were unable to sell in their original configuration.

Our feature bike was purchased new in Minneapolis , and the original owner immediately removed the windshield, bags, exhaust system, turn signals, and more. The bike was repainted and then sold to a second gentleman who owned it until the early 1980s. Some motor work was done, and it was then sold to Terry, who rode the bike until the mid-1990s and then parked it with occasional use thereafter.

In 2002, Terry turned to his brother Brian to restore the bike for him. Brian spends his spare time restoring muscle cars and classic vehicles and was happy to take on the task. He convinced terry to return this rare bike to stock but with updated internal technology that did not distract from the originality of the motorcycle. An inventory revealed that most of the special one-off parts were still with the bike but things like the exhaust pipes, bags, and windshield would have to be found. The Internet was a great help and in earnest. The motor/tranny was dropped off at American Motorcycle Works in Sioux Falls , South Dakota . Larry and Moose went through the entire package, replacing valves, guides, rings, and seals, as well as detailing the motor. Stock gears were put back in the transmission, as was a new clutch.