The intrepid Mighty Mouse rescues a gang of hot rodding rodents in this Terrytoons classic from the golden age of cartoons.

In the classic era of cartoon animation, little Terrytoons of New Rochelle, New York was one of the smaller and less prestigious studios in the business. Founder Paul Terry liked to say, “Walt Disney is the Tiffany’s of the business, and I am the Woolworth’s.” Still, the Terry Tunes crew managed to turn out a number of entertaining and memorable characters, including Heckle and Jeckle, Dinky Duck, and the star of the ensemble, the fearsome Mighty Mouse.

Among other things, this 1953 cartoon short from Terrytoons, entitled Hot Rods, might give us some idea of what Americans were thinking about hot rodding in the early years of the automotive sport. Here; hot rodders were not bad-intentioned, necessarily, but reckless and in need of adult supervision. And here, the parental figure is Mighty Mouse, who rescues the impetuous hot rodding rodents from the natural enemies of mice everywhere, the evil cats. Video follows.