In Pixar's Cars, Route 66 inspires the setting of Radiator Springs.
The fictional town reflects communities that once depended on U.S. Route 66, the historic highway linking Chicago and Santa Monica. Cars portrays Radiator Springs as a place bypassed by a newer interstate, leaving its businesses and population struggling. That premise mirrors the effect modern highways had on many older roadside towns.
Director John Lasseter and members of the Pixar team researched Route 66 during a road trip before production. They visited landmarks, museums, diners, and small communities, using those observations to shape the film's locations and characters. Radiator Springs is not a literal copy of one town; it combines features from several places along the route.
Route 66 is often called the Mother Road and became one of the most recognizable roads in American popular culture. The film's geography is deliberately stylized, so viewers should not treat Radiator Springs as an actual mapped settlement. Its identity comes from Route 66 history and roadside Americana.