5 Fascinating Cars Facts In Honor Of Pixar Cars Week

All Photos: Courtesy of Disney

We’re racing into the end of winter like Lightning McQueen.  Its only February but we’ve got a little spring fever here at Picturing Disney. Maybe it’s because we are planning our Spring Break trip or perhaps It’s because we are all revved up for Pixar Cars Week!

In celebration of Pixar Cars Week (Feb 8-16^th), fasten your seatbelts, revv your engines and take a ride with us to explore Five Fascinating Pixar Cars Facts.

1.  Mater is based on a real life Nascar fan- 

Mater was named for NASCAR enthusiast Douglas “Mater” Keever.  The filmmakers met Keever while on a research trip to North Carolina’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway (now Charlotte Motor Speedway) and gave him a voice cameo in the film. He is the motor home who says “Well dip me in axle grease and call me slick.”

2.  You can visit the mountain range that surrounds Radiator Springs- 

The real life mountain range surrounding Radiator Springs is inspired by Cadillac Ranch. This outdoor art installation located outside Amarillo, Texas consists of spray-painted Cadillacs that are half-buried face-down in the ground.

3. Cars was Paul Newman’s final (and highest grossing) film.  

4. The short “Susie the Little Blue Coup” from 1952 inspired the idea for Cars.

5. Most Cars Characters are based on actual car models- 

Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Chick Hicks are original Pixar designs, but most of the other characters are based on actual car models. 

• Lizzie (Model T) pays homage to the 1913 Ford Tin Lizzie.
• Doc Hudson (1951 Hudson Hornet)
• Ramone (1959 Chevy Impala)
• Luigi (1959 Fiat 500)- Fun Fact: Luigi’s license plate (445-108) is the latitude and longitude for the Ferrari factory in Modena, Italy.
• Fillmore (1960 Volkswagen Microbus)
• Sarge (1942 Willys Jeep)
•  Mack the Truck (Mack Superliner)
• Sally (2002 Porsche 911 Carrera)

Disney is celebrating Cars week with this exciting new Cars merchandise: 

Lightning McQueen Backpack

This awesome Mini 10" Lightning McQueen backpack will have kids racing all the way to school. Perfect for carrying kids’ most prized possessions, this colorful Cars backpack is a delight from hood to trunk and back again. Available at Target for $14.99.

Core Diecast Singles

Each die-cast vehicle is highly detailed with rolling wheels and personality accents. Cars fans will love the unique variety that features all-time favorites like Lightning McQueen, Mater, Rusty & Dusty, Luigi & Guido. New character vehicles like Jackson Storm are also joining the race! Available at mass retailers for $3.99.

  Rust-Eze Tune-Up Center

With the Rust-eze Tune-Up Center, kids can get all their die-cast cars in race-ready condition in one convenient stop. Feed that hungry gas tank with premium octane at the pump and stop by the car wash to put on a sparkling shine. Kids will love to recreate scenes from the Cars movies and make up their own stories of race prep with this multi-function playset. Available at mass retailers for $14.99.

**All items are from Mattel.  This is not a sponsored article.

Which is your favorite new Cars item? Drop us a note below and if you can't get enough of Cars check out our article on Lightning McQueen Day.