Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Cars 2 arrived in 2011 as Pixar's tenth feature and a sequel to one of the studio's most merchandised properties, released by Walt Disney Pictures at a point when the studio was expanding its animated worlds into globe-trotting spectacle and franchise-building. The film shifted focus toward international espionage and racing circuits, broadening the series beyond Radiator Springs while keeping its original star at the center of the action. For a generation of young viewers it was an introduction to Pixar through motion and speed rather than small-town charm, and it remains a fixture of early 2010s family cinema history.
This cell centers on Lightning McQueen, the franchise's original lead and the character most closely tied to the series' identity, making him a natural focal point for collectors of Cars memorabilia. Racing is his defining context throughout the franchise, the environment that introduced him and the one he returns to here. A 35mm cell tied to this subject preserves a piece of that racing narrative directly from the film's physical print, offering a tangible artifact of the character in the setting most associated with his story.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital theatrical release print of Cars 2 (2011).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punching appears clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with an analog stereo print; Dolby Digital pixel blocks appear present in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, indicating a Dolby Digital SR·D composite track.
Edge print
Not fully legible at this capture resolution; partial characters resembling 'TOE·LE' or similar are visible along the lower edge strip but cannot be quoted with certainty.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with modern safety polyester stock; dye image reads as warm and saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible on the three frames shown.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, and the colorful animated imagery is consistent with a release print of Cars 2 (2011).
Era check
The composite Dolby Digital SR·D optical track format, polyester base stock, and saturated dye image are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the 2011 era.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063490
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
