In Pixar’s Cars, Radiator Springs is associated with historic U.S. Route 66.
The fictional town lies along a stretch of road inspired by Route 66, the historic highway that connected Chicago and Santa Monica. The film uses the town’s decline after a new interstate bypass is built to reflect the real-world effect modern highways had on many small communities along older routes.
Route 66 is sometimes called the Mother Road, a phrase popularized by John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath. Pixar artists and writers researched the road and its roadside landmarks while developing Cars. Radiator Springs combines influences from several real Arizona and southwestern locations rather than representing one exact town. Its neon signs, motels, garages, and desert scenery give the film a strong visual connection to classic American road travel.