In Pixar’s Cars, Route 66 leads travelers toward Radiator Springs before the town is bypassed.
The film uses Radiator Springs to dramatize the changing fortunes of communities along historic U.S. Route 66. Once a major cross-country road, Route 66 connected Chicago and Santa Monica and became strongly associated with roadside businesses, motels, diners, and tourism.
When a newer interstate route diverts traffic away from Radiator Springs, the town loses customers and much of its economic activity. Lightning McQueen’s accidental stay gives the neglected community a chance to be seen again.
Radiator Springs is fictional, but the film’s visual language draws on real Route 66 landscapes and attractions. Viewers sometimes identify the town with one exact real place; instead, Pixar combined inspirations from several locations and landmarks along the historic highway.