On June 9, 2006, Pixar Animation Studios raced its way into the winner’s circle with the release of Cars. And we’re still talking about it almost two decades later, so… they must have done something right, right?
The film is a charming tale of speed, growth, and small-town living. It quickly became a pop culture juggernaut—and an eventual franchise—with two more sequels released in 2011 and 2017.
Directed by Pixar icon John Lasseter, Cars was the studio’s seventh feature film. It didn’t have the same level of success as Toy Story or Finding Nemo, sadly. But it still made quite the impact, grossing $462 million at the box office on a $120 million budget.
‘Cars’ Was Released on This Day in 2006
Cars is set in a world that is quite similar to ours… except it’s populated exclusively by anthropomorphic vehicles. Absolutely no humans here—and please don’t ask questions.
The film follows Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), a young hotshot racecar who only cares about driving fast and winning races. Typical. After a series of chaotic events, McQueen finds himself in the small town of Radiator Springs, which is located just outside of the abandoned Route 66.
Here, McQueen meets a colorful cast of characters, including Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt). Together, they all manage to teach McQueen that life isn’t always about winning races and driving fast. How touching.
The film is classic Americana and jam-packed with Route 66 nostalgia. And it’s Pixar, so it’s beautifully animated and incredibly well executed. It was also a merchandising goldmine—seriously, they sold a crap top of Cars stuff.
Cars generated a staggering $10 billion in merchandise sales within the film’s first five years. It turned little ‘ole Lightning McQueen and Mater into household names. Along with the two sequels, we also got a Disney+ series, multiple video games, and even a Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure.
Even if you missed the film, you most likely heard Rascal Flatts’ cover of “Life is a Highway,” which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rascal Flatts even named their most recent tour the “Life is a Highway” tour—because let’s be honest, that song rules.
Here we are, almost 20 years later. We’re celebrating not just a movie, but a moment. Sure, it’s not Disney’s biggest film. It’s not even Pixar’s best work. But it’s extremely memorable… and who doesn’t love saying “Ka-chow” all these years later?
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