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 the studio's first true sequel, expanding the world of Radiator Springs into a globe-spanning spy adventure. Released by Walt Disney Pictures, it marked a shift toward broader action and comedy, leaning heavily on Mater's tow-truck charm to carry the story alongside the racing backdrop of the original. Though it divided critics, it remains a key entry for understanding Pixar's franchise ambitions and the studio's willingness to experiment with genre outside its usual dramatic register.
This cell centers on Tow Mater, the rusty, big-hearted tow truck whose accidental recruitment into international espionage became the engine of the sequel's plot. Collectors seek Mater material because he anchors the film's tone, comic relief turned reluctant hero, and because his design carries over so directly from the original Cars. A 35mm cell bearing his name preserves a frame of that expanded role, a physical artifact from the print reels that once ran this character across theaters worldwide.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Cars 2 (2011).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with an analogue stereo or SR track; 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 visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote characters reliably.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cyan-teal tint typical of modern polyester stock; dye image reads as neutral with no visible fading or colour shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
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 composite Dolby Digital SR·D optical track layout and cyan-tinted polyester base are 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 000063510
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
