In Pixar’s Cars, U.S. Route 66 inspired the road and town history of Radiator Springs.
Pixar’s filmmakers researched Route 66 communities, landscapes, businesses, and roadside landmarks while developing Cars. The historic highway connected Chicago and Santa Monica and became famous for long-distance travel across the American Southwest.
In the film, Radiator Springs loses visitors after a faster interstate bypass is built. That fictional history reflects the real impact of newer highways on many Route 66 towns, although the characters and town itself are invented.
Interstate 40 is an important detail in the film’s setting, but it is not the road that inspired Radiator Springs. I-40 represents the bypass that redirects traffic. Route 66 is the historic cultural source and the road associated with the town’s identity.