Pixar's Cars was dedicated to story artist Joe Ranft. The dedication appears in the film's closing credits following Ranft's death during production.
Ranft was a major creative figure at Pixar. He worked as a story supervisor or story artist on films including Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo. On Cars, he was a co-director and contributed to the story and character development, including work connected with the film's distinctive world of talking vehicles.
Ranft died in a car accident in August 2005, before Cars reached theaters. The film's dedication honors his contribution and is one reason Cars occupies a significant place in Pixar's production history. Cars was directed by John Lasseter and Joe Ranft, although Lasseter completed the film after Ranft's death. The dedication is sometimes confused with later tributes in Pixar films, but Cars is the relevant feature here.