Disappearing Car Caper

"Disappearing Car Caper" is the ninth episode (part one) of Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo season four, and the forty-fifth overall, although it originally came as part of The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour. It aired on November 20, 1982 on ABC. It was written by Ron Sellz, produced by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, directed by Charles A. Nichols, and voice directed by Gordon Hunt.

Characters

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Organizations

 * Fearless Detective Agency

Locations

 * Earth
 * United States
 * Abbot's Car Lot
 * Piston McGee's hideout
 * Fearless Detective Agency headquarters

Objects

 * Piston's shrink ray

Vehicles

 * The Mystery Machine

Development
The working title was either "Hot Car Caper" or "The Hot Car Caper". Pistons McGee was designed to resemble actor Lionel Atwill, although, at the time of writing the episode, Ron Sellz didn't know who that was.

There was pressure from Standards and Practices that the shrinking ray didn't look like a gun, with Joe Ruby and Kea Spears telling Sellz that if it looked like a gun, the episode would be scrubbed. After several more secret meetings, the design of the shrink ray ended up looking like a gun anyway.

Music
The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin, credited as musical director, with musical supervision from Paul DeKorte.

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: November 20, 1982 on ABC

Behind the scenes

 * The writer, this time being Ron Sellz, wasn't credited.

Home availability

 * In the United States:
 * September 24, 2013: Warner Home Video releases Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales: Ruh-Roh Robot! on DVD.
 * In the United Kingdom:
 * December 19, 2016: Warner Home Video releases Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales: Ruh-Roh Robot! on DVD.