What was Pixar’s first Cars short-film series called?

Pixar’s first Cars short-film series was called Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales.

The series centers on Mater telling increasingly unbelievable stories about adventures from his past. Each short usually presents Mater as the hero of an exaggerated episode, while Lightning McQueen listens and reacts. The comedy comes from the contrast between Mater’s confident storytelling and the audience’s uncertainty about whether his claims are true.

Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales began in 2008, after the release of the original Cars. The shorts were made for television and later appeared through Disney distribution. They are separate from Cars on the Road, a later Disney+ series that follows Mater and Lightning on a road trip. The phrase “Mater’s Tall Tales” is therefore the specific title associated with the earliest Cars Toons run, rather than a general label for every Cars television production.