Montgomery "Lightning" McQueen is a
fictional
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places
Place may refer to:
Geography
* Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population
** Census-designated place, ...
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
stock car
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
who is the protagonist of the
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
franchise ''
Cars
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
'', primarily voiced by actor
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...
. His appearances include the feature films ''
Cars
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
'', ''
Cars 2
''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American computer-animated Spy film, spy comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to ''Cars (film), Cars'' (2006), the second film in the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' f ...
'', and ''
Cars 3
''Cars 3'' is a 2017 American computer-animated sports comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to ''Cars 2'' (2011) and the third installment of the ''Cars'' film series, the ...
'', as well as in the TV series ''
Cars Toons
''Cars Toons'' is a television series of American computer-animated short films produced by Pixar. It features the main characters Lightning McQueen and Mater from Pixar's ''Cars'' franchise non-canonically in the original plot. Larry the Ca ...
'' and ''
Cars on the Road
''Cars on the Road'' is an American Computer animation, computer-animated Streaming television, streaming television series of shorts produced by Pixar Animation Studios for the Disney+ streaming service and based on the Cars (franchise), ''Cars'' ...
''. McQueen is a playable character in each of the
''Cars'' video game installments, as well as in other Disney/Pixar video games. McQueen is the face of the ''Cars'' brand, and he is a popular mascot for Disney.
McQueen is a professional racer in the Piston Cup circuit, which emulates the
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
, and acquires five Piston Cup victories through his career. In ''Cars 2'', he competed in the short-lived World Grand Prix. At the end of ''Cars 3'', he assumes the role of a mentor for a new generation of racers.
In the films, McQueen is sponsored by Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment and wears their decals. His body is red with yellow and orange decals, displays the number 95 on his sides, and has blue eyes. His appearance undergoes updates through the films, but generally maintains the same image. McQueen is seen with no paint or decals briefly in ''Cars 3''.
Characterization
During the initial research for the first film,
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
met with
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
designers to discuss the new Corvette design. However, McQueen's appearance is not attributed to any single car model.
In order to create a cocky but likable character for McQueen, Pixar looked at sports figures like boxer
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
, basketball player
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons in the Natio ...
, and football quarterback
Joe Namath
Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...
, as well as rap and rock singer
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician, ...
.
The end result is a character which, despite the usually meticulous approach to "truth to material" in which each car's animation is mechanically consistent with its respective model's capabilities, can occasionally bend the rules to move more like an athlete than a motorcar.
Lightning McQueen is not named after actor and race driver
Steve McQueen
Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...
, but after Pixar animator
Glenn McQueen who died in 2002.
![Owen Wilson 2017 Daytona 500](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Owen_Wilson_2017_Daytona_500.jpg)
Character design
McQueen's design is primarily inspired by and based on various
NASCAR Generation 4 cars; however, he has a curvaceous body like that of the
Plymouth Superbird
The Plymouth Superbird is a highly modified, short-lived version of the Plymouth Road Runner with applied graphic images as well as a distinctive horn sound both referencing the popular ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon character the Road Runner. It was ...
and
Dodge Charger Daytona
Dodge produced three separate models with the name Dodge Charger Daytona, all of which were modified Dodge Chargers. The name was taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, which was an early center for auto racing and still hosts the Daytona 500, NASC ...
. The exhaust pipes come from the 1970s
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over seven generations since 1966.
The first Charger was a show car in 1964. A 1965 Charger II concept car resembled the 1966 production version.
The Charger has ...
, but with four (two on each side) instead of two on one side or one on both sides. His body draws cues from the shape of the
Ford GT40 and
Lola T70, along with cab prompts from a
1990s Porsche 911.
His number was originally set to be 57, a reference to
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
's birth year, but was changed to 95, referencing the release year of Pixar's first film ''
Toy Story
''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...
''. McQueen's engine sounds emulate a Gen 4 in ''Cars'', a mixture of a Gen 5
COT and the
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
The Chevrolet Corvette C6.R is a grand tourer racing car built by Pratt & Miller and Chevrolet for competition in endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing. It is a replacement for the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, Corvette C5-R racing car, app ...
in ''Cars 2'', and a
Gen 6 in ''Cars 3''.
Appearances
''Cars'' (2006)
Lightning McQueen is a rookie racer in the Piston Cup series, and secretly disdains his sponsor Rust-eze, hoping to be chosen for by the more prestigious Dinoco team. McQueen is portrayed as being ungrateful, obnoxious, selfish, and sarcastic. On the road to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
for a tie-breaker race, McQueen begins to realize he has no true friends. After an encounter with a quartet of tuner cars, McQueen becomes separated from his transport truck, Mack, and ends up lost in Radiator Springs, a forgotten town along
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
. He is soon arrested and impounded there.
In Radiator Springs, the local judge, Doc Hudson, Sally, and the other townsfolk vote to have McQueen repave the road he destroyed as
punishment
Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular acti ...
. He rushes and doesn't do it properly at first before reluctantly accepting help from Doc. In the process, McQueen learns about the history of Radiator Springs and begins to relate to its inhabitants. McQueen befriends a tow truck named Tow Mater, and he falls in love with Sally. During his time in town, McQueen begins to care about others rather than just himself. He also learns
an expert turn from Doc and some unorthodox moves from Mater, which he later uses in the tie-breaker race.
During the final lap of the race, McQueen witnesses a crash behind him and forfeits the win in order to help
Weathers finish the race. McQueen is nonetheless praised for his sportsmanship, so much so that Dinoco race team owner Tex offers to hire him to succeed Weathers. McQueen declines, choosing instead to stay with his Rust-eze sponsors for managing to get him where he was. Tex respects his decision and instead offers to do him a favor any time he needs it. McQueen uses the favor on a ride on the Dinoco helicopter for Mater, fulfilling Mater's dream.
McQueen returns to Radiator Springs to establish his racing headquarters. He resumes his relationship with Sally and becomes Hudson's pupil.
''Cars: The Video Game'' (2006)
Considered a direct continuation of the first film, this game's story picks up where that film ends. McQueen finds himself at the start of the next Piston Cup season. With the help of the citizens of Radiator Springs, McQueen readies to start his quest for the Piston Cup, taking lessons from Hudson, Fillmore, and Mater. With the use of his new skills, McQueen once again finds himself in position to win the Piston Cup, much to the irritation of Chick Hicks.
McQueen's racing gear is stolen from Mack on
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
when Chick enlists the aid of the Delinquent Road Hazards, the same crew who harassed McQueen in the first film. McQueen is able to retrieve his equipment and bring the delinquents to justice before winning the next race, which sends Chick into a frenzy. McQueen challenges Chick to a Grand Prix in Radiator Springs, followed by one more Piston Cup race in Los Angeles. McQueen wins these events, taking the Piston Cup in his sophomore season.
At the end, McQueen, Mater, and Sally decide to take a celebratory trip across the country. When asked if he brought his trophy, McQueen notes he did not, but left it in a good place, revealed to be at Hudson's clinic next to the racing legend's own three Piston Cups.
Though McQueen is still sponsored by Rust-eze, players are able to unlock McQueen with a Dinoco paint job while playing as him in Story Mode, Arcade Mode, and Versus Mode.
''Cars 2'' (2011)
Five years after the events of the first film, McQueen, now a four-time Piston Cup champion, returns to Radiator Springs to spend his off-season with his friends. McQueen's respite is interrupted when he is invited to participate in the inaugural World Grand Prix, sponsored by former oil tycoon Miles Axelrod, who hopes to promote his new biofuel, Allinol.
At a pre-race party in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, McQueen is embarrassed by Mater and regrets bringing him along. After losing the first race on account of Mater's involvement with spies Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell (of which McQueen was unaware), McQueen lashes out at him and tells him he does not want his help anymore, causing Mater to leave. Later, McQueen wins the second race in Porto Corsa,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. However, more cars were damaged in the race, causing controversy and increased fears over Allinol's safety. In response, Axelrod decides to remove Allinol as a requirement for the final race in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. McQueen elects to continue with Allinol, unknowingly endangering himself.
During the London race, McQueen sees Mater and apologizes for his outburst in Tokyo. When McQueen approaches him, Mater speeds away because of a bomb planted in his engine compartment that will detonate if McQueen gets too close. Out of the detonator's remote control range, McQueen catches up and realizes the spy mission was real. McQueen goes with Mater and the spies to confront Axelrod, who is later revealed to be the mastermind behind the plot, and force him to disarm the bomb. Following the arrest of Axlerod and his cohorts, McQueen happily declares that Mater can come to all races from now on if he likes. Back in Radiator Springs, it is revealed that McQueen's Allinol supply was switched with Fillmore's organic fuel by Sarge before the London race started, thereby protecting McQueen from danger. A Grand Prix is then held in the town, featuring all the World Grand Prix contenders.
McQueen's paint scheme in this film is nearly identical to the first film (his large lightning bolt is repainted dark red, and a smaller bolt is threaded through his number, and has only three sponsor stickers on either side), though it is modified for the World Grand Prix with green-tinted flames on the end of his large bolt and a Piston Cup logo on the hood instead of his usual Rust-eze sponsor. His reflective lightning decals are removed, he has a different spoiler, and his sticker headlights and taillights are replaced with actual working lights.
''Cars 3'' (2017)
Five years after the events of the second film, McQueen, now a five-time Piston Cup champion and racing legend,
races in the Piston Cup series with his long-time racing friends,
Cal Weathers and
Bobby Swift. High-tech rookie racer
Jackson Storm
''Cars'' is a media franchise including the 2006 film ''Cars'', the 2011 film ''Cars 2'', the 2017 film ''Cars 3'', the 2013 film ''Planes'' and the 2014 film '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. Characters in the fictional universe include:
Piston Cup ...
appears and begins to win race after race. McQueen pushes himself too hard while trying to compete with Storm in the final race of the season, injuring himself severely in a dangerous crash. After recovering, McQueen trains with
Cruz Ramirez during the off-season in hopes of beating Storm. McQueen's new sponsor
Sterling tells him he will have to retire if he loses his next race, where Sterling plans to profit off McQueen's retirement merchandise.
After several unsuccessful attempts at training, McQueen decides to seek out Doc's old pit boss,
Smokey, and eventually meets him at the Thomasville Motor Speedway, in what appears to be the
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge ...
. Completing this training, McQueen runs the first half of the Florida 500, with Smokey as his crew chief, before pulling out and giving Cruz a shot at stardom, with him as the crew chief. Cruz and McQueen share the victory due to Lightning starting the race, and the pair receive a sponsorship under the merged Dinoco–Rust-eze brand. McQueen embraces the role of mentor for young talent, with Cruz as his pupil.
He reverts to the body type he had back in the first film, but the paint job features a cross between the lightning bolts seen in the first film, and the flames seen in the second film. The bolts are solid colored instead of halftone, the Rust-eze logos were enlarged, and he has fewer sponsor stickers than he had in the first film. He also sports a second paint scheme prior to his crash (with a slightly desaturated red paintwork, a modernized version of the Rust-eze logo and different lightning bolts), a third "training" paint job in which he is darker red with metallic yellow accents, and a fourth "demolition derby" paint job in which he is all mud brown and numbered 15. At the end of the film, McQueen is decked in a blue "Fabulous Lightning McQueen" paint job reminiscent of Doc Hudson's. He also keeps his working lights.
Notable miscellaneous appearances
In the book ''Struck by Lightning'', McQueen reveals that his real name is Montgomery (shorthanded to Monty), and that "Lightning" is a nickname.
Cultural impact
![Şimşek McQueen yan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/%C5%9Eim%C5%9Fek_McQueen_yan.JPG)
Lightning McQueen's popularity inspired many products, from toys and video games to spin off TV shows and books. He is also a character at the
''Cars'' Land, a ''Cars''-themed section of
Disney California Adventure
Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure or by its acronym DCA, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Park ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McQueen, Lightning
Cars (franchise) characters
Cars designed and produced for films
Disney animated characters
Fictional American people
Fictional racing cars
Fictional racing drivers
Film characters introduced in 2006
Male characters in film