Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Cars 2 arrived from Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures in 2011, a sequel that pushed the studio's flagship franchise into globe-trotting spy territory. Directed by John Lasseter, it paired the folksy Radiator Springs cast with a new international espionage plot, expanding the Cars universe into merchandising and theme park territory that would define much of the next decade's output. Though divisive with critics, it remains historically significant as Pixar's first true sequel-driven expansion and a pivotal moment in the studio's shift toward franchise building.
This cell brings together Mater, Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell, the trio at the heart of the film's spy narrative. Mater's reluctant thrust into international intrigue, paired with McMissile's seasoned agent and Shiftwell's rookie operative, forms the emotional and comedic backbone of the picture. Collectors seek this pairing because it distills the film's central premise into a single frame, the unlikely tow truck alongside two British-inflected secret agents, representing the moment the story's stakes and chemistry come together on screen.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby/DTS 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; punched holes appear clean and regularly shaped with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, accompanied by what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip between the perforations on the same edge, and a DTS timecode line is also discernible; SDDS outer-edge tracks are not visible in this capture.
Edge print
Edge print reads, as visible: '2293 837 818 T 50 KODAK 21 2010 X'.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cyan-blue tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
No splices or cue marks are visible; minor surface marks consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate are present.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and are consistent with an animated feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The Kodak Vision print stock edge code, combined with the Dolby Digital and DTS soundtrack configuration, is consistent with a 35mm 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 000063503
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
