Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Cars 2 arrived in 2011 from Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures, extending the Cars line into international espionage territory with a globe-trotting plot that paired the franchise's slower, small-town charm with spy-movie spectacle. It marked a shift for the studio, leaning harder into action and gadgetry while still anchored by its beloved cast of vehicles. The sequel expanded the world established in 2006, introducing new characters and settings that broadened the franchise's reach into merchandising and international markets, cementing its place as a key entry in Pixar's commercial evolution during the early 2010s.
This cell brings together three central figures of that expanded story: Mater, the good-natured tow truck thrust into a role beyond his depth, alongside Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell, the polished secret agents who anchor the film's spy narrative. Their shared presence points to a pivotal turn where these disparate worlds converge, a moment collectors prize for capturing the odd-couple dynamic driving the sequel's appeal. Whether drawn from a trailer, title card, or credits sequence, this cell preserves a fixed frame of that meeting, valuable simply for placing these three together on film.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Cars 2 (2011).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with rounded rectangular corners, no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge beside the picture area, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block pattern visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge; a DTS timecode line cannot be confirmed at this size.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with modern polyester stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks observed on the frames shown.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a release print of Cars 2 (2011).
Era check
The polyester base tint, variable-area optical track with apparent Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and four-perforation 35mm format 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 000063497
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
