The famous Mystery Machine that carries the Mystery Inc. group from one mystery to the next. Photo from scoobydoo.wikia.com

While there is a popular misconception that Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine was not a particular van but a combination of vans is an incorrect assumption. The appearance of a spare tire mounted in the front of the van in early episodes led many to believe that the Mystery Machine was a Volkswagen. We’re going to solve this particular mystery for you: The Mystery Machine was based on a 1968 Chevrolet sport van 108 with a 1965 Chevrolet Van front and rear.

The history of the van goes back to the previous owners, a popular family band, known as the Mystery Kids. The van’s design was painted by Flash Flannigan, the band’s pianist, before he stormed off and quit. This history is recounted from the fifth episode of the first season (It’s Mean, It’s Green, It’s the Mystery Machine) of the animated series.

Photo from wikipedia.org

On Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, the Mystery Inc. gang is reunited to search for real ghosts, for Daphne Blake’s show, Coast to Coast with Daphne Blake. Fred Jones, now her producer, surprised them all by removing a banner of the show’s sign off of what was apparently their news van, to reveal the Mystery Machine logo underneath. The Mystery Machine has a protruding engine in the front, eliminating the Volkswagen theory.

Some little known Mystery Machine facts:

• The license plate number as shown in Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo is revealed to be 195-343.
• In the live-action films they used a late 80s Chevy Van in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins.
• They used an 80s Ford Econoline for Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster.
• In the early live-action movies a modified Holden Van was used.