Cars on the Route

Galena, Kansas is a Route 66 town that partially inspired the Pixar movie Cars. And at the popular roadside attraction Cars on the Route in Galena, Kansas you can meet one of the stars of the movie in person: Tow Mater.

Cars is a Pixar movie set in a world where anthropomorphic talking cars populate the world. A racer, Lightning McQueen, gets lost and finds himself in Radiator Springs, a location that was once a bustling stop on Route 66 that had since fallen from maps due to highway expansion. Many of the characters and locations featured in the film were based on Route 66 attractions. The Cozy Cone was based on Wigwam Motel, Ramone’s was the U-Drop Inn, and Lizzie’s, Hackberry General Store. One of the most iconic characters in the film was Tow Mater, a beat up tow truck who befriends and supports Lightning McQueen and teaches him a couple of tricks along the way.

The character of Tow Mater was partially based on an unlikely Route 66 attraction: an old 1951 International Harvester Tow Truck that stands outside of a former Kan-O-Tex gas station in Galena, Kansas.

The Kan-O-Tex gas station first opened in 1934. In 2007, a group of four women—Betty Courtney, Melba Rigg, Renee Charles and Judy Courtney—purchased the property and restored it, reopening as “Four Women on the Route.”

Now, the old service station is known as Cars on the Route and has been converted into a cafe where you can grab a burger, cheesesteak, or chicken sandwich and shop for Route 66 and Cars souvenirs. You can visit for a quick bite and to meet the rusty old tow truck who inspired the Disney character. The owners have even added cartoon eyes for those who can’t quite make the connection plus few more cars to complete the collection.