Pixar released the original Cars film in 2006.
Cars opened in the United States on June 9, 2006, and became Pixar's seventh feature film. It was directed by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft, and Dan Fogelman, with Lasseter receiving the principal directing credit and Ranft credited as co-director.
The story follows Lightning McQueen, a young race car who becomes stranded in Radiator Springs while traveling to the Piston Cup finale. Its mixture of racing, road-trip comedy, and Route 66 nostalgia established the setting and characters used by later films.
The year is sometimes confused with 2007, when the film received major awards attention, or 2011, when Cars 2 arrived. Cars 3 followed in 2017.