Radiator Springs
History
Radiator Springs was founded by a steam car named Stanley in 1909, and a statue of him is outside the town courthouse. Later, Stanley married Lizzie. After Stanley died, more people came to live in Radiator Springs, and the town grew. It was a popular rest area where almost all cars would stop to shop and fill their gas tank. However, in the the early 1960's, Interstate 40 was built near Radiator Springs, which greatly decreased traffic for Radiator Springs, since the Interstate bypassed the town. In 2006, famous racecar Lightning McQueen destroyed the town's main road in a hurry to get to a Piston Cup race in Los Angeles, California, and was arrested for 5 days to fix the road. Lightning soon became friends with the Radiator Springs populace, and after his race, he set up a racing headquarters in the town, and the town started to grow again.
Location
The location of Radiator Springs is not known exactly; however, it is most likely in eastern Arizona, along Route 66.
Radiator Springs is along Route 66, which is in the United States. Route 66 goes from Los Angeles, California, to Chicago, Illinois, which can be heard in the Route 66 song during the Cars end credits. Radiator Springs is surrounded by red rocks and desert, and is not near any large cities, so Radiator Springs must be on Route 66 in either California, Arizona, or New Mexico. According to The Art of Cars, Radiator Springs is located in between Gallup, New Mexico, and Kingman, Arizona (which both can be heard in the end credits song). Since Gallup is on the far west side of New Mexico, Radiator Springs is most likely in Arizona. The truckstop that Mack and Lightning McQueen passed by on their trip could not be west from Houck, Arizona, because of a sign which reads "LAST TRUCKSTOP FOR 500 MILES", and since Houck is on the far east side of Arizona, the truckstop was most likely in western New Mexico, and if Mack drove for only a few hours more after the truckstop before he fell asleep, then Radiator Springs is most likely in eastern Arizona.
Residents
- Doc Hudson (former resident, deceased sometime between the events of Cars and Cars 2)
- Sally Carrera
- Sarge
- Fillmore
- Ramone
- Flo
- Luigi
- Guido
- Stanley (former resident, now deceased)
- Lizzie
- Mater
- Red
- Bessie
- Big Al (former resident - left town 15 years prior to the events of Cars)
- Lightning McQueen (new resident)
- Mack (new resident)
- Mia and Tia (new residents)
- Coo (new resident)
Buildings & Attractions
Inside town
- All Day Lunch (closed)
- The Cozy Cone Motel
- Eat (closed)
- Fillmore's Taste-In
- Flo's V8 Cafe
- Foggy Windshield (closed)
- Glenrio Motel (closed - building becomes the Racing Museum)
- Lightning McQueen's Racing Headquarters
- Lube O Rama (closed)
- Luigi's Casa Della Tires
- Mrs. Piston (closed)
- The Oil Pan (closed)
- Doctor Hudson: Dr. of Internal Combustion (Ornament Valley clinic)
- Pop N Patch Tire Repair (closed)
- The Racing Museum (building was previously the closed Glenrio Motel)
- Radiator Springs Courthouse & Fire Department
- Radiator Springs Curios
- Radiator Springs Drive-In Theatre
- Radiator Springs Garage (closed)
- Radiator Springs Municipal Impound
- Ramone's House of Body Art
- Sarge's Surplus Hut
- Sarge's SUV Boot Camp
- Tow Mater Towing & Salvage
- Tractor Pasture
- Willy's Butte
- Wimpy's Wipers (closed)