What was the first Cars short film released by Pixar?

Mater and the Ghostlight was the first Cars short film released by Pixar.

The short was released in 2006 after the original Cars. It centers on Mater, who is frightened by a mysterious blue light after the residents of Radiator Springs play a prank on him. The story uses the town’s nighttime setting and local folklore to extend the characters beyond the feature film.

Mater and the Ghostlight was directed by John Lasseter and Dan Scanlon and was included with home-video releases of Cars. It is a short film rather than a theatrical sequel, so it should not be confused with Cars 2 or Cars 3.

Pixar later produced additional Cars shorts, including the Mater’s Tall Tales episodes, Tokyo Mater, and The Radiator Springs 500½. Those projects expanded the franchise, but Mater and the Ghostlight came first among the Cars-branded short films.