U.S. Route 66 inspires the road trip and setting connected with Radiator Springs in Pixar’s Cars.
The historic highway once linked Chicago and Santa Monica, crossing the American Southwest. Cars uses the decline of old roadside towns along Route 66 as an important part of its setting and story. Lightning McQueen reaches Radiator Springs after being separated from the convoy transporting him to California.
Several details in the fictional town echo real Route 66 landmarks and communities. The film’s creators researched the highway by traveling its route, observing its diners, motels, landscapes, and surviving roadside businesses. This research helped the movie present Radiator Springs as a town affected by changing transportation patterns.
Route 66 was removed from the United States Highway System in 1985, but it remains a major cultural symbol. Cars helped introduce that history to a global audience. Radiator Springs is fictional, so it should not be identified with one exact real town.