Here is a long list of most of the places & people along Route 66 who inspired the characters & locations/businesses in Cars (2006). I’ve been wanting to make a post like this for a long time so I hope you all enjoy & learn something new! I did a lot of research for this and tried my best to make sure there is no misinformation. Disclaimer: most of these photos are screenshots I took on Google Maps, but there are a few I had to save from Google. Credit goes to the original photographers.
Ramone’s House of Body Art was heavily inspired by the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas.
The Cozy Cone Motel was inspired by both the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico & the Wigwam Motel. There are actually two Wigwams: Holbrook, Arizona & San Bernadino, California. The name “Cozy Cone” is probably derived from the Cozy Dog Drive Inn in Springfield, Illinois.
Although there are many buildings along 66 covered in signs like this, Lizzie’s Radiator Springs Curios Shop was mainly influenced by the Hackberry General Store in Cool Springs, Arizona and the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Texas.
The Wheel Well Motel is a composite of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri & the Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post in Lupton, Arizona for the backdrop. The now-demolished Wishing Well Motel in Countryside, Illinois is thought to have some influence as well.
The “Here It Is” sign is almost a direct replica of the one at the Jackrabbit Trading Post in Joseph City, Arizona.
There is a large “RS” (for Radiator Springs) on Radiator Cap Mountain, just like how Tucumcari Mountain in New Mexico has a large “T” spray-painted on it.
Cadillac Range is a combination of both the Black Mountains in Arizona & very popular Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Little known fact, but there are two Cadillac Ranch imitations in Texas: Slug Bug Ranch with VW cars in Conway, and Combine City in Amarillo.
Although they behave more like cows, the tractors were most likely inspired by the wild burros that roam the old Western town of Oatman, Arizona.
Harley Russel, owner and performer at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop, was one of the inspirations for Mater’s personality. Douglas “Mater” Keever & Dean Walker (who is known to turn his feet backwards, like Mater’s backwards driving) also inspired his character.
Galena, Kansas is home to the rusty tow truck called “Tow Tater” that inspired the design of Mater (the one on the far right) that resides at Cars on the Route. After Cars came out, many business along the route have decorated cars with eyes on the windshield.
The Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma is owned by Dawn Welch, whose personality and personal stories heavily inspired the character Sally. If you look at photos online, you’ll see that the restaurant is filled with Sally/Cars memorabillia, & even has wooden Cars characters outside(as you can see in this photo).
Fran Houser, former owner of the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, was the main inspiration for Flo, and her friendly & outgoing personality is reflected in the character. She later opened and ran the Sunflower Station right next door. The pies served at Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land are thought to be a tribute to her famous Ugly Crust Pies sold at the Midpoint Cafe.
Michael Wallis, voice of Sheriff, is a well-known Route 66 historian & author. He actually guided the Pixar team along Route 66 during their Cars research trip. Sheriff’s physical features and personality strongly resemble Wallis.
The character Fillmore is based on Bob Waldmire, a hippie who often lived and traveled along the mother road in his VW van, as well as creating a lot of art for Route 66 including postcards, murals, and maps. The dome-shape of Fillmore’s Taste-In is similar to the Meteor City Trading Post in Meteor City, Arizona(which also has a Bob Waldmire mural inside), as well as Ortega’s Indian Market in Lupton, Arizona. Both buildings are now abandoned.
Sarge’s Surplus Hut was influenced by the many Quonset Huts along 66.
The Glenrio Motel in Radiator Springs (which later became the racing museum) is a nod to the ghost town of Glenrio, Texas, and the front building is almost an exact replica of the long-abandoned Little Juarez Cafe. The boarded-up Budville Trading Company building refers to the real life town & now-closed business (but has since been restored) in New Mexico by the same name, and the Radiator Springs Drive-In is very similar to the 66 Drive-In Theater in Carthage, Missouri.
Though the Leaning Tower of Tires at Luigi’s Casa Della Tires could be referring to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, there is also a leaning water tower in Groom, Texas that may have inspired it as well.
Though his name refers to the state of Texas, the character Tex Dinoco could also be a nod to the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. The restaurant even has a complimentary limo shuttle service, and each car is decorated with bullhorns in the front, just like Tex. He is a Cadillac with longhorns, which were also the type of cars the Pixar team used on their Cars research trip.
Residing in Seligman, Arizona, Angel Delgadillo (known as the “guardian angel of Route 66”), heavily influenced the story of Radiator Springs. He fought to save Route 66 after tourism nearly disappeared, and founded the first Historic Route 66 Association in Arizona.
The town of Radiator Springs was mainly influenced by Tucumcari, New Mexico, and Peach Springs, Seligman, and Cool Springs in Arizona. However, I feel like this information gets mixed up a lot so please correct me if I’m wrong!
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