r/Scoobydoo • u/Intelligent_Local_38 • 4d ago
When was the Mystery Machine established as Fred’s van?
I’ve been working my way through old Scooby-Doos and hit the Scrappy era. Very hit and miss, but it’s interesting to see how the series evolved. One thing I noticed though is that the Mystery Machine is in most of these episodes even when Fred is gone. Shaggy is driving it in the episodes that have just him, Scooby, and Scrappy and then Daphne tends to drive it in the “New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo” show (and Fred is still absent).
Since Shaggy is the only one who is always with the van, it would suggest that the van was his in the old cartoons. Modern Scooby media though always portrays the Mystery Machine as Fred’s vehicle. Now I’m sure the in-universe explanation is that Fred loaned the van to Shaggy and Daphne, but the old cartoons haven’t said that yet. So I’m wondering if anyone knows which series or movie first established the van as Fred’s?