In Pixar's Cars, Luigi is a Fiat 500 who runs the tire shop in Radiator Springs.
Luigi owns Luigi's Casa Della Tires and is passionate about Ferrari racing. His shop assistant and best friend is Guido, a small Italian forklift who shares Luigi's enthusiasm for racing and tire-changing. Their friendship gives the town's garage scenes much of their comic energy.
The Fiat 500 is an iconic Italian city car, and Luigi's compact rounded design clearly reflects that model. The real Fiat 500 was introduced in 1957 and became strongly associated with affordable urban motoring in Italy. Cars uses Luigi to connect Radiator Springs with Italian automotive culture.
Luigi is sometimes identified broadly as a “small Italian car,” but the specific model is a Fiat 500. Guido is not another Fiat: he is a forklift. Luigi's Ferrari admiration also does not make him a Ferrari himself.