Lasseter sent his Pixar team on several fact-finding tours along Route 66 to garner inspiration for the film from the real people and places along the fabled road. The scavenger hunts sought to track down the sights, sounds, textures, kitsch, charm, warmth and heritage of Route The experiences of the road — recorded in notebooks and sketchpads and captured in photos and videos — helped inform the narratives, architecture, merchandise and even menu items found in Cars Land.
While a few of the buildings in Radiator Springs are exact replicas of landmarks along Route 66, most of the businesses populated and operated by the automotive characters in the movie are a pastiche of places found along the fading but still popular road.
I decided to organize the real Route 66 inspirations here by the buildings and attractions in Cars Land. The tailfin ridgeline draws inspiration from the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, a public art installation featuring a row of graffiti-covered Cadillacs half-buried nose-first in the ground.
The radiator cap mesa at the center of the road race ride is based on Tucumcari Mountain in Tucumcari, N. The rusty red striated grooves of the Cars Land mountain range look just like the real cliffs looming above the Teepee Trading Post in Lupton, Ariz. The sequential Rusteze signs placed consecutively along the front of the Racers ride are an ode to the Burma Shave roadside advertising campaign — remnants of which can still be found along Route 66 between Ash Fork and Kingman, Ariz.
The snack stands in Cars Land serve chili cone carne, cone on the cob, popcone and other food pun novelties. The five oversized orange safety cones that double as snack stands are an obvious reference to the Wigwam Village in Holbrook, Ariz.
Another teepee-style motel can be found in San Bernardino. For the time being, the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla. After rebuilding following a fire, Welch has put the Rock Cafe up for sale. Nothing else like it! I saw the beginning and middle about 5 times — but never the end! Love this site! I drove from middle Tennessee westward earlier this spring and was fascinated by the history of route Near the end of your guide you have a photo of the Diablo canyon bridge stating that it is now closed.
We drove across it and spent over an hour on the other side taking photos. We would love to drive through route 66 one day. My family especially my son have watched the movie CARS numerus times.
We have read about the inspriations for the Pixar film and are awaiting our vacation. Do you know what i like cars movie very it is so funning.
He get on that race he run so fast. Than he horsepower the nascar race track and he save that other car that is cool. Been traveling the Mother Road east from Kingman to Amarillo and have seen a number of the items used in the movie.
We are camped in Tucumcari at the moment and looking directly at Radiator Mountain. Great site and a pleasure to use in re-tracing our trip. Just got back from Route 66 Road trip from Victorville Ca into Arizona and at the Sno Cap Cafe behind the cafe itself is where you see all the old cars with eyes painted on their windshields thats in Seligman. And the Sitgreaves Pass comming out of Oatman is an old gas station in cool springs that might have once had a wagon wheel motel by it at one time.
V on travil channel in January hopefully he looked just like Chuck Norris,so you just never know who you might run into on the mother road,and theres so much to see and take photos another favorite place was Winslow Standing on the corner which inspired the eagles hit song Take it Easy when one of the guys car broke down there and eat there at Bobos cafe outstanding prime rib sandwich. I want to go out on road to see more of 66 someday.
My favorite charactor has to be Lightning Mc. But all Mc. Queen cares about is winning,fame,fortune, and all the perks that come with it. Queen gets trapped in a little old forgotten town, Raidiator Springs. There he makes alot of friends from bueatiful Sally to the beloved rusty old Mater. And they show him the racecar that he wants to be. My favorite movie is definetly cars.
I have watched cars times in counting. My whole room is filled with Cars stuff; mostly Lightning Mc. Every store I go to I usually always ask for something cars. Anyway thanks for making this great movie. I love the movie. I am 13 years old and I livein Hartville Missouri. Mater really reminds me of my late Grandpa. He is funny sarcastic and I just love him he is my favorite character!!!!!!!!! Hey Cars fans! I just found this site!
I live in Kingman, AZ and I get to drive the motheroad every day. KellyT — formerly a Sandiegan. I came across a pole that had tyres lobbed over it as in the CARS flick. I believe it was in Tulsa but I may be wrong re the location not the pole. I always felt that they captured Route 66 and the Southwest so beautifully, especially the scene at sunset when Radiator Springs lights up its neon signs for the first time since its heyday. Now we know where to go! I used to live in Dallas,Texas but never new there was a route 66 until i got to miami and saw the movie.
My folks took us kids along Rt. A lot of emphasis on cowboys and Indians. And a few years ago I took in parts of it around Peach Springs and down to Sedona with them again.
When my grandsons wanted to watch Cars with me, I figured it would be a stupid Nascar racing cartoon. Was I wrong! I do hope there is a second Cars movie. Incidentally, I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and one of my favorite pastimes is visiting ghost towns in those beautiful hills — there are of them.
And Arizona has excellent ghost towns scattered around — all worth visiting. My wife and I are going on the mother road this summer on our motorcycles. It will be our first real vacation ever. No family to visit or any thing like that. We are taking our 7 year old son with us and we were looking for a way for him to enjoy it. Mission accomplished!!! This is a great site. I am looking forward to starting a site and doing a pictoral of the trip. See you on the mother road Mark.
When I read the building was directly inspired by the old Conoco in Shamrock, TX, the light-bulb came on! My dad lived about 20 miles from the town all my life, and I drove past the gas station several times a year going to visit him.
It was like seeing a piece of my childhood memories across the big screen. This site is very interesting … some day we hope to vacation through route 66 and see some of those sites! I live in the Chicago area and I know where that leaning tower in Niles is…!!! I really hope to one day travel the Mother Road and stop at all the little places along the way!
And the similarities between the movie and the real places are just mind blowing! This is such a wonderful site. I am now working in France and am waiting for my 2 year old son to be old enough so we can take a long vacation down Route 66!
He has been watching Cars about 30 times now… he made me pay more details to the movie and fell in love more and more with both the movie and the real Route 66 itself!
Our 6 year old daughter likes it so much, she has asked us to vacation on Route 66 this year. She even has a large plastic jar bank that we all put our change into just for the trip. She decorated it with Route 66 symbols! We are in the planning stages for this trip, and this site is a HUGE help for us. Wonderful work! Great site and great movie. A beautiful drive through the Vermillion Cliffs in Northern Arizona.
I really enjoyed this site. I grew up in Tucumcari and from the first time I saw the movie it reminded me of where I grew up. I have to agree, Tucumcari is much like Radiator Springs. Just watched the Cars Movie with my wife and a Friend on my new 10 ft X20 ft outdoor screen. It Was about the 5th or 6th time to watch it. Me and my wife did the Route 66 run about three years ago in out Chevy. We had a blast.
The trip is decopaged on my theater room wall and everyone that comes over gets a big kick out of it. This movie has even made the trip more unique. We notice something else each time we watch it. This movie is great and anyone wanting to make the Rt 66 run.
Again this movie even makes it better. Hello, I have grandson ,and justin lee bailey love it ,he watching the movie all day, and for him that is somethings , he has not done that with no movie before. We just did our cross country journey. Florida to California. Via Route 66 for as much as we could.
It was amazing and because of this post we were able to plan our trip around seeing some amazing sights from Cars as well as the gorgeous country. Thanks again! I am planning a Route 66 for this summer.
I especially love the connections to the real people who influenced the movie. Thanks for all the effort and love that went into this. What about the Fire Truck Red! Well it sit outside the Grand Canyon Caverns in Arizona. Stop by and see and get some great pics to remember. Keep up the good work! Good Work. This was wonderful!!!!!!!!! I will keep you updated to how it turns out. Radiator Springs may be a made up place, but there are only so many places where it could be located.
If you look at the end of the movie, they have a map. On that map it shows where Highway 40 intersects with Route Radiator Springs is located a very short distance away from the exit on Highway Also, look at the way the roads run together on the map. I looked only at Arizona because of the cactus in the movie saguaro cactus only grow in that part of the world. Which would make the little town a just west of Flagstaff, if I made my calculations right that is.
This movie was presented to me, a senior citizen, by my 22 year old GF and her two children. Every time we watch it, I see something new. I loved it. While driving from Texas to California, I wanted my son to experience Route He knows about it beacuse we sing the song, so every time we drove into a city named in the song, we would stop and sing.
But the places we stopped were all on Route 40, so I decided to take exit along old Route 66 into Seligman. I had never seen Seligman before, but I was immediately struck by the resemblence to Radiator Springs; this was before we actually entered the town, but were out on the outskirts near the tire yard.
While we enjoyed looking at all the fun stuff in Tucumcari, I would suggest a trip to Seligman to get the feel of a town bypassed by the highway like Radiator Springs. Try to time your visit after a. Both towns are a lot of fun to visit! Thanks for a great blogsite. Tow Mater sits in a car lot on Route 66 in Kingman. He was along side Route 66 in town during the Fun Run a few weekends ago. I luv cars but i am a big fan fan of all movies bassicly my fav character would have 2 b mater or sarge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My son, Dipo, has a fovourite cars star, Mc Queen. But i very love Matter. He loooks funy and more friendly. On the DVD of Cars. In the bonus material, it is said the team behind the film saw a documentary, on towns, bypassed by the interstate highway. Does anybody know the name of this documentary? Just wanted to add my 2 cents here. Louis, Missouri.
Of course, the latter slogan comes directly from the Blue Swallow. I almost jumped out of my seat when I spotted Budville. Saw CARS for the 1st time last night. Being from Oklahoma and travelling to California as a child on Route 66, many things looked familiar.
I saw where someone asked about the statue of Stanley. I think the statue was to honor the Stanley Steamer! I heard a Cars II is in the making, hope so!!! Now , he has 2years,3months age and can say Mc. Queen,,,Mater,,,just Mate…these are his favorites cars…. We live in Mexico, in the border with Mc. Allen Texas, and I hope that some day can travel by the Route 66, and show this places to my son….
It was , is and will be one of the most favorites movies for Isai my son and me. Because of this I thought it would be cool to look up and see where the movie makers got thier inspiration. I was able to re-live the adventure while watching the movie. This is likely our last chance as a family to take that Great American Road Trip. Your work on this site will help make it fun to match the actuals with items in the movie.
When I first saw it I saw references to different things and places on Rt Next year we are planning a drive on The Mother Road and I know we will plan on visiting these places. So I had to watch it too as we had been on Route 66 in July Then I found your site because I was so interested to find out about all the places in the movie. We stayed in a wigwam at the WigWam Motel in Holbrook — in the wigwam that looks onto the wigwam office just like in the movie.
Then we travelled along to Peach Springs. We went to Bryce Canyon where we drove through the arch formation in the rock. Debbie, England UK. I knew of Route 66, but only have been on a small part of it in my life. Im sure that the Lost Dogs Tour coming up next month has helped to make me more knowlegable about Route Thanks for the wonderful article!!! I had the great opputunity to drive from Kingman to Seligman through 66 last week. A lot of people told me to skip this and take I I refused and am glad that I took this route.
I stopped at many places and it was very worth while to spend sometime meeting the locals at Peach Springs, AZ. Great Article! Ron… Really enjoyed reading it and felt that it should not have an end. Springs is just a little lost town in the movie….. The pictures are awsome and really am looking forward to show this to other friends! This was an awesome site and very informative.
I really enjoyed making the connection with the characters of the movie and places and hope to see more sites that provide facts like this one did. Next road trip will definitely have to be along Route Really have to agree with you about Tucumcari as still being representative of the flavor of Route 66 in its heyday. A close second might be Grants, NM. Enjoyed your site. I was in Grants for the first time recently, and without any knowledge of this site, and of course after having seen the movie at the drive-in when it came out, my hair stood on end as we drove slowly up Rte Great site!
My whole family loves Cars. Still watch it regularly and for every road trip we take. Thank you. One of the greatest things I see coming from the movie cars is its attention it is giving to the kids. One day it may be many of these kids who restore some of the towns by-pasted by todays rush of the highways.
Thank you so much for this! I hope the towns and businesses have enjoyed renewed interest not only from the film, but also from your website. With my grandson I wathed this movie and he asked my if the towns were really so I showed him your website and he now wants to go and see were Cars was filmed.
Great Job on the website. Our Family watched this movie many times and did travel all of Route 66 right before it came out.
This helped us piece it all together! This web site will make it more of a CARS trip for my 6 and 3 yr old. It was really interesting and my boys really liked seeing it also. Really interesting, I am rewatching Cars on Disney right now…your website answered all of my questions and more! Nice work! I just watched Cars for the fist time and I am one who reads the credits as they roll at the end of the movie.
I like car movie. Its very much interesting and its hard to forget the sentimental history of the route We do hope that there will be another movie, about route I drive thru Glenrio on every Route 66 trip.
I take pictures each trip to see how much the hungry elements have devoured. I always wanted to take a trip to the US and drive my way across the former Route 66… Since I have no money, I keep watching movies about it. And this is a great way to make myself feel there. This page is a great discovery for me… thank you. We shot a documentary to promote electric cars along Route 66 back around the same time the movie Cars came out. Today I saw the movie for second time and once again it make me travel thru it from my living room.
But is the first time That I tried to find out more information by internet and I found this page…. I will look forward to in future take a trip by route Thanks for the info, again is awesome!! The ghost light is close by too. Get out there and get your kicks, while you still can. I visited the Mother Road back in and in Jun The story is true. I took a lot of pictures of the surrounding areas. It was gorgeous but deserted. Read your commentaries invites me to enjoy Route The Cars movie invites me to.
I know that its a wondwefull trip. I am hoping that there will be a second edition of the cars…Philippines love it so much so as the young and the old.. I am also hoping that through this movie THE CAR , everyone would realize how values can have revolutionary consequences for human life.
Awesome post! I visited Route 66 in mai Now, I would like to know, if Radiator Springs really exists and I found your great article.
Thanks for it. When we close our eyes, we can feel it like real. Greatings from Germany, Berlin. I would like to invite all of you to this adult-themed costume party.
We have two live bands and a DJ that will spin your favorite road trip music from 7pm when the doors open until??? Many of our guests grew up along the Mother Road and will be available to tell you half-truths about what occurred along the Highway of American History. I look forward to seeing many of you there! What a great movie, I am 6 and never get tired of watching it. I asked my mum if Radiator Springs was a real place in America, so we looked it up.
Obviously not, but we now know the movie was based on real knowledge of the local area. I hope there is a sequel. Love to visit the USA one day and travel along route James, Australia. As a resident of the southwest, and having been to Seligman and Tucamcari both many times, I would rank Seligman, Arizona up with Tucamcari as to topogrpahy and geology in that town that seem familiar when watching the film.
While Tucamcari has Tucumcari Peak, it does not have the typical Colorado Plateau type topography and rocks seen in the drives around and just outside of Radiator Springs in the film. The people of those towns must be very proud of that…. And several clips on Youtube.
Disculpen que no escriba en ingles! Es excelente! Solo me acercaba por aqui para decirle que Radiator Springs quizas no existe como tal, pero Peach Springs en Arizona ocupa ese lugar tal cual como aparece RD en el mapa de Cars!
Fijense que incluso existe esa desviacion de la 66 a partir de la 40 igual como el mapa de Cars! Desde ya gracias por permitirme opinar! Esperamos con mi hijo ansiosos la segunda parte!
This is a great website. Whoever created it put some work into this. It might be Caddilac Ranch in Amarillo. But drive I west out of Green River, Utah and you drive through rock formations strikingly similar to those in the movie. They excuse that it does not write in English! He is excellent! It only approached to me this way to say to him perhaps that Radiator Springs does not exist like so, but Peach Springs in Arizona occupies that place so what as appears RD in the map of Cars!
Look that even exists that deviation of the 66 from the 40 equal like the map of Cars! From already thanks to allow me to think! We wait for with my son anxious the second part! I think this is great. Reading this brings back memories of the trip. Wonderful job done on this blog. I plan to drive the Mother Road in March and am thankful for such a great blog as research!
We have the same experience as Kathy Blickenstaff with our grandson Noah — 2 years. We have been watching the movie and Youtube-clips for hours. My name is Nkuebe Lerotholi from Lesotho, jst wana congradulate u guys for a gud movie, it is so real…I really would love to visit route 66 too. We drove from Los Angeles to Chicago this past summer with 3 children: 4 years, 3 yrs, and 1 yr old.
The kids dont have a real concept of distance so they kept thinking we were back in Radiator Springs but seeing a different part of it. They enjoyed it so much, they still ask when are we going to Radiator Springs again! Los paisajes que muestra la caricatura de los cars se ven muy hermosos sobre todo la cascada mi hijo la ve todos los dias por que le gusta mucho me gustaria en un tiempo no muy lejano conoserlo y de igual manera alos personajes reales bueno sigan cuidando a Radiador Springs que siga igual de hermoso.
He really does turn both of his legs backwards. We also have a pocket angel buried in our cement just outside the door, so as you enter, you cross directly over it.
By the way, we were voted the best sandwich in Cherokee County and make the best frozen custard on Route Great stuff!! Thanks for the post. I absolutely enjoyed my first trip from Chicago upto Barstow. Looking forward to another trip. For the past 7 years my husband and I have traveled West by car at least once a year. We often detoured off the interstates to take Rte 66 to see the old towns, something we both enjoy. It is truly sad to see, what were surely charming little towns struggling for survival if not all but dead.
We watched the movie Cars with our Granddaughter not knowing what the movie was about and we were delighted to see the West so beautifully depicted as only Disney can do. However, people who have not traveled West most likely do not realize the very truthful nature of the story. If the movie has inspired you to have a mind to motor West, travel my way, take the highway thats the best, get your kicks on Route I quote. Don,t be in such a hurry to get there, where ever there might be, get off the beaten path and have a look around, you just might be amazed.
Disney Pixar son muy realistas. Spain, Seville. Luis 9 years. Amazing information, thank you so much for putting it together. Thank you for a so good information. We just arrived 2 weeks ago from the Mother Road Route 66 on Harleys.
Incredible experience and always remembering CARS!!! Headed East on I70 Took in many attractions and had a great time. WOW, this is an incredible article that has lived for what, 5 years. Glad you ran it again. You do a fantastic job. Hey you, from the U. A colorado,nevada an other states. I hope that you all understand me.
But your site is very good, really. Un fuerte abraso!!! I love the Pixar movie especially the Cars,I really really love it! It gives me a lot of inspiration. God Bless all the staff,the producers and the directors,they really did a good job. Route 66 is the best,when I grow up,I want to plan for a vacation for myself and see it for myself the beauty of that place! All man really wanted to seek contentment but the real thing is you can find it in a place where there are people who already completes you.
Most of all God is in your center! God Bless again! More Inspiring movies to come. They took me on trips that I have never forgotten.
I still vividly remember a lunch-stop in a sleepy diner somewhere in Arizona as a 9-year old boy. I needed to go to the toilet and locked myself in a cubicle which I was later unable to get out of.
After a while someone opened the door from the outside and I looked with amazement into the persons face: it was my very first and happy, confrontation with an Indian. It was there also where we had our very first tasting of Tabasco-sauce: in a place called Truxton.
As a kid I always liked the trips to the US. I still remember each time crying when sitting in the plane leaving for home. Years have past… My interest grew towards Australia.
Since I have been there 6 times and always off the beaten path. Until last week. Something that I thought was dead. I felt the amazement and vastness of bygone times again.
We just got back from a visit to Williams, Ariz. My almostyear-old grandson yelled, Ka-chow, Ka-chow when he saw the canyon and everytime he saw a Route 66 sign. I loved finally seeing part of Route 66 and I loved being in Williams.
Your blog is very interesting and makes me want to explore more! She knows all the songs ect! Love seeing all the resemblances of some famous sites of the mother road in the film, the movies keeping some of americas history alive, and telling the story to a new generation too! I think Cars 2 is a total let down, its lost the meaningfulness the 1st one had!!
You have just ruined my life by saying Radiator springs is not a real place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was reading throught some of the posts and i identify them to be awfully interesting. Also, the Chrome browser will give you the option of translating a page into your native language.
Hey there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us useful information to work on.
You have done a outstanding job! I traveled the Mother Road this past June. Pixar Wiki Explore. Lifted Luxo, Jr. Marsigliese Tommaso Giacomo.
Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Radiator Springs. Edit this page. History Talk 4. Do you like this video? Play Sound. An aerial viewpoint of the town.
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