The appeal of the open road certainly helped sell Disney's smash 2006 film "Cars," with clever nods to the automotive past and present. This worldliness almost certainly contributed to the film's cross-demographic success, and the expansive selection of real cars to make an appearance in "Cars" covers every corner of the automotive world.
"Cars" brilliantly blurred the line between cars and their drivers, reaffirming what devoted drivers already know: Cars can be just as intricate and meaningful as the people who operate them. In honor of the movie's 10th anniversary year, here are the six best real cars from the movie, along with the character portraying them.
6. Ramone - Chevrolet Impala
The low-riding, Von Dutch-striping proprietor of Ramone's House of Body Art, Ramone takes his inspiration from the 1959 Impala. True to the film, the Impalas of that year remain popular with the hydraulics crowd and custom hot rodders.
The '59 model year also saw the apex of the tailfin on the Impala and many of its competitors, a design feature I thoroughly salute. This car is an iconic symbol of the Route 66 era and a widely loved relic of the past, and its inclusion in the movie is deserved.
5. Luigi - Fiat 500
"Cars" premiered in March 2006. Fiat announced the return of the 500 in May of that year. Coincidence?
This city car, or subcompact in the States, was abundantly popular in the postwar era as an economical means of transportation. In our own economical times, that almost certainly strikes a bigger chord than in overheated 2006.
The 500 is novel and historic, and Luigi the charming Italian added just the right amount of quirk when the movie debuted. Just remember that he follows only the Ferraris.
4. Snot Rod - Dodge Challenger?
Snot Rod is definitely a Dodge. I think.
The headlamps and grille badge could definitely indicate a Dodge, and the slope of the roof suggests a '70 Challenger rather than a '68 Charger. Regardless, catching a sustained glimpse between flaming sneezes is an arduous task.
The Challenger was a late but great entry into the pony car wars of the late 60's and early 70's, but today's heavy, muscular Challenger may even more closely resemble the bulky Snot Rod than did the original.
3. Sally Carrera - Porsche 911
You knew the 911 would be high on this list. Porsche has a brand identity of unflappable coolness, and high-powered trial lawyer turned small-town motel operator Sally Carrera embodies that flair perfectly. Porsche did not become a classic by lacking either power or grace.
The 911 was never my favorite Porsche; the world-beating 959 has that honor, but "Cars" would have been a very different film without the ubiquitous 911.
2. Doc Hudson - The Fabulous Hudson Hornet
The Fabulous Hudson Hornet was not just one car, but a series of stock racing cars in the early 1950's. The best-handling car of its era, the Hornet was dominant in stock racing, to the tune of three consecutive NASCAR National championships.
Alas, the Hudson Motor Car Company did not fare as well. After losing the production battle to volume manufacturers like Ford and Chevrolet, the company lost first its independence and finally its name. Fortunately, the spirit of the Hornet lives on in "Cars" forever through Doc's smooth cornering and angry snarl.
1. Chick Hicks - Buick Grand National
The official publicity line calls Chick a "generic 1980's American stock car," but rumor suggests this is because Chevy was reluctant to attach its Monte Carlo brand to a villain. The closest relative to the Monte Carlo in the G-body family of General Motors cars is the Buick Regal Grand National - which also shares the mustache grille prominently featured in the movie.
Whatever the truth may be, I prefer to pretend the speedy but self-absorbed Chick is a Buick. A world-class performance car for the 80's, the Grand National is often neglected outside the most enthusiastic car circles, as anonymous in the press as its alter-ego in "Cars." There must be a message in that somewhere.
In the cookie-cutter world of animated entertainment, studios sometimes lose track of the synthesis between their real audiences and their fictional environments. In the creation of their box office triumph, Pixar expertly bridged that gap. The world of "Cars" was unlike any film they had made before; it was at once a story of characters and a celebration of driving, an odd intermingling of what makes cars great and what makes us human.
It was a movie worth watching. A happy 10th year to Disney Pixar's "Cars."
