Disney and Pixar’s Cars Turns 20! All The Cars Movies In Order & More
by Explore Disney+ Contributor
September 1, 2026
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Disney and Pixar’s Cars (and Lightning McQueen Day on September 5) with character details and fun facts about the beloved franchise’s movies, shows, and shorts streaming on Disney+
Re-start your engines! We’re honoring the 2006 premiere of Disney and Pixar’s Cars with a guide to all three movies, the Disney+ series, and plenty of shorts. Scroll on to explore their plotlines, favorite characters, Easter eggs, and even sneak a peek at what’s next for Lightning McQueen and Mater. It’s time to take a victory lap through Radiator Springs, Tokyo, London, and beyond to celebrate Lightning McQueen Day with Piston Cup-level prowess.
Celebrate 20 Years Of Cars
2026 marks some big anniversaries for Disney movies, making it the perfect time to revisit this iconic summer blockbuster, then get to know Lightning McQueen and his friends even better in the series and specials.
What makes Cars so special?
It combines racing, heartwarming small-town charm, and Route 66-inspired Americana in a world brought to life with Pixar’s signature attention to detail based on extensive real-world research. Whether you’re looking for high-octane family fun, lovable characters, or a soundtrack that captures the feeling of hitting the open road, Cars is perfect for your next family movie night.
Can I watch Cars in theaters?
Yes! To mark the anniversary, Cars returns to select theaters for a limited time, starting September 4, 2026.
When is Lightning McQueen Day?
Fun Fact: Lightning McQueen is #95 in reference to 1995, the release year of Pixar’s first feature-length movie, Toy Story. Because of this, Lightning McQueen Day is celebrated on September 5 (9/5), and this year, you can mark the occasion with some "Ka-Chow!"-worthy merch.
Cars Fun Facts, Easter Eggs & Trivia
It wouldn’t be a Pixar movie without nods to its creators, references to other Pixar movies, and hidden details in the movies that reveal something new with every rewatch.
The Meaning Behind The License Plates
Luigi is a Ferrari fanatic, and his license plate, 44.5-10.8, references the latitude and longitude of the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy.
Fillmore’s license plate, 51237, represents May 12, 1937, the birth date of George Carlin, who voices the VW Bus.
Flo’s license plate, SHO GRL, signifies her history as a show car.
Real-Life Racing References
The King’s Dinoco Blue paint color is actually “Petty Blue,” a custom color created for racing legend Richard Petty’s real-life racecar. Richard Petty and his Cars character, The King, also share the same racing number, #43.
About The World Of Cars
Everything in the movie’s world is inspired by cars. Look closely, and you’ll see flowers made of taillights and car fins, along with insects that are actually VW Beetles.
The mountains behind Radiator Springs look like Cadillac tail fins, with each peak showing a different model from 1956 through 1963, arranged from left to right in chronological order.
Pixar Easter Eggs
The code A113 is on the front lights of Trev Diesel the train. A113 was the animation room at CalArts, and appears in nearly every Pixar movie.
Toward the end of Cars, you can spot a sign for Emeryville, home to Pixar and the Pixar campus.
The birds from Pixar’s short film, For the Birds, are on the power line during the "Life is a Highway" montage.
Dinoco is the major sponsor that Lightning McQueen dreams of racing for in the Piston Cup. But, a Dinoco gas station makes a cameo in Disney and Pixar's Toy Story where Andy accidentally leaves Buzz Lightyear and Woody behind.
The famous Pizza Planet truck fromToy Story makes two appearances in Cars: Once on the road during the “Life is a Highway” montage and again in the announcer’s stand during the final race.
The graphics on Pete the Peterbilt truck, that Lightning McQueen mistakes for Mack right before turning toward Radiator Springs, were drawn by director John Lasseter’s children.
Cars By The Numbers
Animators rendered 1 billion particles of dirt, dust, smoke, and exhaust for the movie, including 1.7 million pieces of dust on the trophy cup and desk in Doc's office. It took 4.7 terabytes of disk space to create all the effects seen in the first movie.
The opening race contained 60,000 seated cars and an additional 700 cars in the infield and aisles. The final race scene features 100,000 seated cars, nearly 1,500 cars in the infield and aisles, and almost 13,000 cars entering the stadium to find seats.
If you combined every variation of the background cars’ parts, such as colors, eyes, license plate styles, and wheel covers, you could create over 450 billion unique car variants. If you made each of them into a standard matchbox car (approx. 3 inches), and laid them end-to-end, they would circle the earth’s equator about 1,200 times.
Cars Movies In Order
Find out the plot and release date of each movie, as well as award nominations and wins.
Cars
Hotshot race car Lightning McQueen is living life in the fast lane...until he hits a detour and gets stranded in Radiator Springs, a forgotten town on Route 66. There he meets Sally, Mater, Doc Hudson and a heap of hilarious characters who help him discover there's more to life than trophies and fame.
Release Date
Cars was released in theaters on June 9, 2006.
Awards and Nominations
The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards®: Animated Feature Film and Music (Original Song) for Randy Newman’s “Our Town.” It also won the Golden Globe® for Best Motion Picture — Animated.
Cars 2
Star race car Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship on the road from Radiator Springs, heading overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
Release Date
Cars 2 came out in theaters on June 24, 2011.
Awards and Nominations
The Cars sequel was nominated for a Golden Globe® for Best Motion Picture — Animated.
Cars 3
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers led by arrogant hotshot Jackson Storm, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly sidelined and pushed from the sport he loves. To get back on track, he'll need the help of eager young racing technician Cruz Ramirez, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected twists and turns of fate.
Release Date
The third Cars movie rolled into theaters on June 16, 2017.
Characters & Voice Actors In Cars
Lightning McQueen voiced by Owen Wilson
With a top speed of 200 mph, this ambitious young racer goes from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds and isn’t waiting around for anyone else. When he ends up in the sleepy town of Radiator Springs, Lightning McQueen learns the value of community and goes from lone wolf to team player.
The character’s last name is in honor of Glenn McQueen, a Pixar animator who worked on the movie but passed away during its production.
Mater voiced by Larry the Cable Guy
The self-proclaimed “World’s Best Backwards Driver” is all mismatched tires and boundless optimism. A well-meaning but accident-prone tow truck, Mater forms an unlikely friendship with Lightning McQueen.
Doc Hudson voiced by Paul Newman
A 1951 Hudson Hornet, Doc is Radiator Springs’ judge and doctor with a mysterious past. He’s unimpressed by Lightning McQueen’s flashy style, but it’s later revealed that the two have more in common than it seems.
Sally voiced by Bonnie Hunt
Sally, a 2002 Porsche 911, left her life as a hotshot L.A. lawyer behind for a slower pace in Radiator Springs. When Lightning McQueen arrives, Sally is one of the characters who shows him what the town once was, what it’s become, and what it could be in the future.
Other Characters & Cast From Cars
More Radiator Springs Residents & The Actors Who Voice Them
Other Radiator Springs residents include:
Bessie, the famous road-paving machine that doesn’t speak but plays a pivotal role.
Fillmore, a 1960 VW Bus played by George Carlin.
Flo, Ramone’s wife and showcar, is voiced by Jenifer Lewis.
Lizzie, a 1923 Model T, 2-Door Sedan, voiced by Katherine Helmond.
Luigi, the Ferrari-loving 1959 Fiat 500, voiced by Tony Shalhoub.
Ramone, a 1959 Chevrolet Impala voiced by Cheech Marin.
Sarge, a 1942 WWII Willys Army Jeep, voiced by Paul Dooley.
Sheriff, a 1949 Mercury Police Cruiser, brought to life by Route 66 historian and author Michael Wallis.
Racing-World Characters
Chick Hicks, Lightning McQueen’s biggest racing rival, is voiced by Michael Keaton.
Mack, a classic Mack long-haul truck tasked with transporting Lightning, is voiced by John Ratzenberger.
Mia and Tia, Lightning’s biggest fans, are voiced by Pixar employees Lindsey Collins and Elissa Knight, respectively.
Rusty Rust-eze and Dusty Rust-eze, are voiced by NPR Car Talk hosts Ray and Tom Magliozzi, respectively.
Tex Dinoco, is voiced by racing promoter Humpy Wheeler.
The King and Mrs. The King are voiced by racing legend Richard Petty and his wife, Lynda Petty, respectively.
More Of The Cars Universe To Watch On Disney+
Discover more stories from Radiator Springs and beyond with the Cars Collection.
Cars on the Road
In the 2022 Disney+ series, Lightning McQueen and Mater head out on a cross-country road trip to attend Mater’s sister’s wedding. Along the way, every stop is its own adventure with outrageous roadside attractions and colorful new characters. The voice cast includes Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy as Lightning McQueen and Mater, as well as Hayden Bishop and Toks Olagundoye.
Add Cars on the Road to Watchlist
Cars Shorts On Disney+
The Future Of The Cars Franchise
A new show, Cars: Lightning Racers, was announced at the “Disney Jr. Let’s Play!” fan celebration, with Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy set to continue their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater. The show debuts in 2027, returning to Radiator Springs to reunite fans with familiar favorites while introducing a fun new generation of cars. It will also feature new music, including Sheryl Crow’s “Built to Last,” which she debuted at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026.
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Movies & Shows
Disney and Pixar’s Cars Turns 20! All The Cars Movies In Order & More
September 1, 2026
