Route 66 inspires the setting and road-trip imagery of Pixar's Cars.
The historic U.S. Route 66 once connected Chicago and Santa Monica across the United States. Its decline after the construction of interstate highways left many roadside businesses and communities bypassed, a history reflected in Radiator Springs and its fading traffic.
John Lasseter and the Cars filmmakers traveled along Route 66 while researching the movie. They studied its landscapes, roadside attractions, small towns, and the people who preserved its history. The research helped make Radiator Springs feel connected to a real American travel tradition.
Route 66 is not the name of the fictional town where Lightning stops. Radiator Springs is an invented location, but its geography, businesses, and surrounding desert are strongly shaped by the real highway's cultural image.