Which studio distributed Pixar's Cars films?

Walt Disney Pictures distributed Pixar's Cars films.

Pixar produced the Cars features, while Walt Disney Pictures handled their theatrical distribution. This arrangement reflects Pixar's long-standing relationship with Disney, which began before Disney acquired Pixar in 2006. The first Cars opened in theaters in June 2006, several months after the acquisition was announced and during the period when the companies were completing their corporate transition.

The Cars franchise includes Cars, Cars 2, and Cars 3, as well as the animated series Cars on the Road. Disney also distributed the related spin-off films Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue through its wider animation operations, although those films were produced by Disneytoon Studios rather than Pixar.

The Pixar and Disney names are often treated as interchangeable by viewers, but they describe different roles. Pixar is the animation studio responsible for creating the Cars feature films; Walt Disney Pictures is the distributor named on their theatrical releases.