In Pixar's Cars, U.S. Route 66 inspires the road linking Radiator Springs to its past.
Route 66 is central to the film's setting and themes. Before Interstate 40 bypassed the area, travelers passed through small communities such as the fictional Radiator Springs. When traffic moved to the faster highway, the town lost customers, businesses, and much of its former importance.
The film draws on the real history of Route 66, which ran from Chicago to Santa Monica after its establishment in 1926. Pixar artists and filmmakers traveled along the historic route while developing the movie, gathering visual ideas from roadside attractions, landscapes, and towns.
Route 66 is often called the Mother Road, but it is not the same as Interstate 40. Interstate highways replaced or bypassed many older sections, contributing to the decline of communities that depended on through traffic. Cars turns that history into the background for Lightning McQueen's personal transformation.