Cars was the first Pixar Cars film to be released.
The original Cars premiered in 2006 and introduced Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally Carrera, Doc Hudson, and the fictional town of Radiator Springs. Its story combines an underdog sports narrative with a road-trip setting and a lesson about community.
Cars 2 followed in 2011 and shifted toward international adventure and spy-film elements. Cars 3 arrived in 2017 and returned to a more personal racing story about McQueen's career and his relationship with Cruz Ramirez.
The franchise also inspired short films, television specials, theme-park attractions, merchandise, and the spin-off film Planes. Planes was produced by DisneyToon Studios rather than Pixar, although it shares the broader idea of anthropomorphic vehicles. That distinction makes Planes a related title but not the first Pixar Cars movie.