Van-Pires

Did You Know?

• The series aired in 90% of markets through UPN, The WB, and Fox network affiliates.
• The show was broadcast in first-run syndication beginning September 13, 1997.

Characters

The series follows four ordinary teenagers who were accidentally caught in the path of a falling meteor, which transformed them into heroic robotic guardians called Motor-Vaters. They protect the night from the evil forces of Tracula and the Van-Pires. Each Motor-Vater can fly and shares the same weaknesses as their enemies: they require gas to sustain themselves and must avoid sunlight. To transform, a hero gets into the driver's seat of their Carfin—a portmanteau of "car" and "coffin"—and shouts "Mission Ignition!"

Axle, voiced by Jason Hayes, is the leader of the Motor-Vaters. He takes his role seriously but can become overly serious, leading to self-doubt or alienating teammates. His Motor-Vater form is yellow with red fire designs, matching his Carfin, a Lincoln convertible. Snap, voiced by Garikayi Mutambirwa, is laid-back but quick to action.

Unlike the others, who speak in car puns, Snap uses a mangled form of African American Vernacular English. His Motor-Vater form is blue with purple trim, and his Carfin is a blue hippie van. Nuke, voiced by Marc Schwarz, is the team's strongman and thrill seeker who has mastered weaponized flatulence. His green Motor-Vater form is modeled after a tow truck with a hook and crane, and his Carfin is also a green tow truck.

Rev, voiced by Melissa Marsala, is a tomboy who gets dirty like the guys but sometimes shows her feminine side. She is romantically pursued by both Nuke and Tracula but ignores them due to her special relationship with her mentor Van He'llsing. Her red Motor-Vater form is armed with a fire hose and axe, and her Carfin is a fire truck. Van He'll Sing, credited as playing himself, is an old hippie who runs Sunrise Salvage, the junkyard where the gang works and hangs out.

His name derives from Bram Stoker's character Van Helsing. Gypsy is an old female gypsy cab with mufflers for arms who appears randomly to offer advice in the form of riddles.

Production

MSH Entertainment produced the CGI animation using the Jethro Animation Management System, while Abrams/Gentile Entertainment handled live-action components and script development. The two companies entered a joint venture in November 1996 to co-produce the first thirteen episodes, which had a total budget of $5.2 million.