Plot

The series follows the lives and adventures of five racing vehicles, Roary, Maxi, Cici (Zizzy in the US), Drifter (Dragga in the US), Tin Top, and the people who they work for, Big Chris the Mechanic, Marsha the Race Marshall and the owner of the racetrack, Mr. Carburettor.

Setting

Roary the Racing Car is set around a fictional motor racing circuit called Silver Hatch (a portmanteau of the names of the two British Grand Prix racing circuits, Silverstone and Brands Hatch). The majority of the action takes place at the track's pits and workshop, although we often follow the cars on their laps around the track. Occasionally, the characters venture to external locations such as the nearby beach.

Sometimes, a race will happen, which will take up most of the episode.

Narration

Every story begins and ends with some brief narration normally from racing car driver Sir Stirling Moss, who is also used as a voiceover. The US version is narrated by American stock car driver Sam Hornish Jr.

Vehicles

• Roary (voiced by Maria Darling) is a red British Formula Ford car who is the titular character of the show with the mindset of a schoolboy and a heart of gold and is the Silver Hatch's number 1 car. He has a healthy rivalry with Maxi and the two of them are often at odds frequently, but they do show that they care for each other and will often hang out together. Roary is only young and a tad-bit inexperienced at racing, but is constantly learning things from his friends and fellow racers. He sometimes gets into trouble over something, but he always makes up for it. He is very intelligent, friendly to everyone around him and eager to learn. His best friend and love interest is Cici (Zizzy in the US).
• Maxi (voiced by Marc Silk) is a yellow Italian Formula One car who is very hot-tempered and is obsessed with winning and is the Silver Hatch's number 5 car. He is very arrogant and snooty at times, often only thinking about himself. He is Mr. Carburettor's favourite race car at Silver Hatch. He has a healthy rivalry with Roary when it only comes to certain things, like when they often fight over who is the star car. He occasionally bullies and belittles Roary, but does show that he still cares for him deep down. He is sometimes irresponsible and reckless, occasionally doing stunts that are harmful and risky. He also loves to show off. In the UK dub, he speaks with a cartoonishly heavy Italian accent, while in the US dub, he speaks with a Brooklyn accent.
• Cici ("Zizzy" in North America) (voiced by Maria Darling) is a pink and purple French rally car who is very bubbly and friendly and is the Silver Hatch's number 3 car. She is Roary's best friend and love interest. She is also a hybrid car that runs on oil, solar energy (which can be seen atop her roof), and electric energy. The alternative energy is a focal part of the episode "Cici Gets Fired Up"" ("Zizzy Gets Fired Up" in the US).
• Drifter ("Dragga" in North America) (voiced by Marc Silk) is an orange Japanese drift car and is the Silver Hatch's number 6 car. He is the most technologically advanced car at Silver Hatch, as he has been shown to digitally project images on occasion. He is known for his serene, reserved personality. He rarely gets angry or upset, and when he does, it is to a less extreme degree than the others. Drifter is also the most docile car, rarely disobeying any orders. Before a race, Drifter likes to calm down by practicing his Tai Chi. He has a rocket-powered nitro reserve booster. He speaks in a mock Japanese accent.
• Tin Top (voiced by Peter Kay in the UK and Kerry Shale in the US) is a dark blue American stock car who is very, though unintentionally, accident-prone and is the Silver Hatch's number 88 car. He often takes his corners a little too fast and wide and regularly ends up in either the sand trap, the tyre wall, or the mud, generally in a tangled heap of disconnected parts. Like Maxi, Tin Top can make flames come out of his tailpipes. In the episode "Tin Top Gets Scared", he has a fear of mice. He holds the record for the longest tyre mark on the Silver Hatch race track. Mr. Carburettor sometimes mixes up his name such as calling him "Tick Tock". His name is a play on 'tip top' because he always crashes. In the UK dub, Tin Top speaks in a mock-Southern-American accent, while in the US dub, he speaks with an Indianapolis accent.
• Plugger ("Lugga" in North America) (voiced by Tim Whitnall) is an aqua blue Caribbean Mitsubishi Triton L200 tow truck, who often comes to the rescue when required. Rescues typically consist of him towing other vehicles out of scraps, such as (but not limited to) the time he pulled Cici out of the mud in the episode "Roary Sees Red". In summary: you could consider him Silver Hatch's rescue vehicle, and tow service.
• FB ("Trucksy" in North America) (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a green second generation Ford F-Series pickup truck who is Farmer Green's main vehicle. He helps out with all sorts of things such as moving hay bales, hoovering up rubbish or apples, or giving Dinkie a ride. He also loves to explore the race track with Roary and Cici and they love spending time together. Like Farmer Green, he has a West Country accent.
• Zippee is an orange Vespa scooter who is Marsha's main vehicle, who, along with Dinkie, is the only character who does not speak, instead communicating with various scooter noises, which appear to come from either her engine or exhaust.
• Rusty (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is an old caravan that Big Chris lives in. He does not move throughout most of the series, except in the episode "Rusty Takes a Trip", where Roary takes him out on the track to see how fun racing can be.
• Breeze (voiced by Maria Darling) is a turquoise Australian Meyers Manx buggy who lives at the beach and is one of Roary's other friends and second love interest. She is shown to love stunts in the episode "Cici Spectacular". She has what seems to be shells painted below her eyes. She speaks with an Australian accent in both the UK and US versions.
• Hellie (voiced by Marc Silk) is a red, purple and yellow helicopter.
• Loada (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a dark orange and light green race car transporter lorry (truck in the US) that transports and delivers packages and parcels to Silver Hatch. He speaks with a Scottish accent in both the UK and US versions.
• James (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a silver British Aston Martin DB5 convertible who is Mamma Mia's main vehicle.
• Nick (voiced by Marc Silk) is a blue and orange Lamborghini Gallardo police car who is the main vehicle of PC Pete.
• Conrod (voiced by Craig Lowndes) is a silver and red Australian Team Vodafone liveried Ford Falcon V8 Supercar. He speaks with an Australian accent in both the UK and US versions, just like Breeze.

Humans

• Christopher "Big Chris" (voiced by Peter Kay in the UK and Kerry Shale in the US) is the mechanic of Silver Hatch who is slightly absent-minded and Big Christine's son. Despite the absent-mindedness, he is shown to be the main authority figure when Mr. Carburettor isn't around, and treats all the cars like his own children. Especially Roary, who he calls "Son" quite often. He's also seen to like eating doughnuts (perhaps a bit too much), but he's never shown to develop health problems from them, except perhaps his weight, but we're never shown or told that his addiction, as it were, caused it. He seems to sing as a side-hustle as well, when off duty, as seen in episodes like "Stars and Cars" and "Cici Spectacular" ("Zizzy Spectacular" in the US).
• Marsha (voiced by Maria Darling) is the racing marshal of Silver Hatch and PC Pete's sister ("Police Officer Pete" in the US). She waves the flag when the race begins, and also is the one who takes calls from her workstation.
• Mr. Antonio "Tony" Carburettor (voiced by Tim Whitnall) is the flamboyant owner of Silver Hatch and "Mamma" Mia's son. He loves singing opera, but can be shown as somewhat vain when it comes to his track. He has a mock-Italian accent.
• Farmer Jeff Green (voiced by Tim Whitnall) is a farmer who is very humble and slightly messy. The Silver Hatch racing crew often come to his farm to buy its products, and he and FB once saved Cici from a mud trap during a nasty storm in the episode "Roary Sees Red". He has a mock-Irish accent
• PC Pete ("Officer Pete" in North America) (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a police constable who is Marsha's brother. He's shown to be a good man, but quite a stickler for rules. Too much of one it would seem, as portrayed in the episode "Law and Order" ("Rules are Rules" in the US).
• Margaret "Mama Mia" Carburettor (voiced by Maria Darling) is Mr. Carburettor's mother. She is very prim and proper, and, like her son, speaks with a mock-Italian accent
• Big Christine (voiced by Peter Kay in the UK and Kerry Shale in the US) is Big Chris' mother who loves dancing.
• "Copter" Keith (voiced by Marc Silk) is a helicopter mechanic/engineer and a good friend of Big Chris.
• Graeme Murray Walker (voiced by himself) is the world's class commentator. He once had a rivalry with Big Chris.

Animals

• Flash ("Furz" in North America) (voiced by Marc Silk) is an anthropomorphic rabbit who likes to cause trouble on the racetrack, but isn't a bad rabbit. He also has a yellow skateboard (which Interestingly isn't anthropomorphic unlike every other vehicle in the show), which he rides to get around Silver Hatch in a hurry.
• Molecom (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is an anthropomorphic mole who wears glasses. He is a skilled mechanic and banjo player. He is, however, not a good Race Marshall, as seen when he and Marsha swap jobs for the day.
• Dinkie (voiced by Marc Silk) is an old grey donkey who lives on Farmer Green's farm.

Series overview

Series 1 (2007)

Series 2 (2008)

Series 3 (2009)

Series 4 (2010)