In Pixar’s Cars, Route 66 inspired the setting and road-trip history of Radiator Springs.
The film’s town is based on communities along the historic U.S. Route 66, the road that once connected Chicago and Santa Monica. Radiator Springs is portrayed as a once-busy roadside destination that declined after Interstate 40 diverted traffic away from the old route. This history explains why the town’s businesses and landmarks have fallen into disrepair before Lightning McQueen arrives.
Pixar artists and filmmakers researched Route 66 communities during the film’s development. The fictional town combines features associated with several real places rather than copying one exact town. Route 66 is sometimes called the Mother Road and was established in 1926. It was removed from the United States Numbered Highway System in 1985, but its cultural identity remains strongly associated with classic American road travel.