Lightning McQueen represents Rust-eze when he first arrives in Radiator Springs in Pixar’s Cars.
Rust-eze is a fictional automotive product company whose branding covers McQueen in orange and yellow graphics. The sponsor is associated with a product marketed as a remedy for rusty car bodies, an intentionally comic idea in a world populated by living vehicles.
McQueen initially dislikes the Rust-eze sponsorship because he wants the more prestigious Dinoco team. His ambition to replace Rust-eze with Dinoco is one of the early signs that he values status more than relationships. After his time in Radiator Springs, however, his priorities change, and his sponsor relationship becomes less central to his identity.
Rust-eze is owned by Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze, two elderly cars who discover McQueen after seeing his potential. The sponsor remains important across the franchise, although McQueen later gains Dinoco support after events in the first film.