In Pixar's Cars, which real highway landmark inspires the Cozy Cone Motel?

The Wigwam Motels inspired the Cozy Cone Motel in Pixar's Cars.

The Cozy Cone Motel is one of Radiator Springs' signature landmarks, with cone-shaped cabins arranged around a roadside property. Its design is a playful adaptation of the Wigwam Motel chain, whose distinctive rooms resemble concrete teepees rather than traffic cones.

Wigwam Motels operated at several historic Route 66 locations, including sites in Arizona and California. Their unusual architecture made them memorable examples of roadside “novelty” motels, a style that helped attract travelers during the highway's heyday.

The fictional Cozy Cone also reflects the film's broader practice of combining real Route 66 history with invented characters and businesses. Sally Carrera owns and operates the motel in the story, while the cone-shaped rooms provide a visual symbol of Radiator Springs' roadside identity.