Cars was the first Pixar Cars movie to receive an Academy Award nomination. The 2006 film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 79th Academy Awards.
Cars competed against other animated features released in 2006, including Happy Feet and Monster House. Happy Feet won the award, so Cars did not take the prize despite becoming a major commercial and cultural success.
The nomination recognized the original theatrical film, not Cars 2 or Cars 3. Cars 2 was released in 2011, while Cars 3 arrived in 2017. Cars on the Road is a streaming series rather than a theatrical feature and was not a Cars film competing in that category.
The Academy nomination reflects the film's importance in Pixar's feature-film catalog. It combined computer animation with a road-movie structure, racing action, and a setting inspired by Route 66. The franchise later expanded into sequels, shorts, merchandise, and attractions.