2006 (mainline series)

Series

Cases

2006
Number of models	27 (27 new)
Production country	Thailand China
Runtime (approx.)	April 28, 2006—October 2006
Mainline series chronology >>

"CARS is a journey of speed, of discovering new places and new friends. And in the end it's not always about where you end up, it's about how you got there."
—Cardback blurb

2006 was the very first mainline series of 1:55 die-cast character Cars by Mattel. Launched with a shelf date of April 28, 2006 as part of the initial Cars tie-in toy wave, the Character Cars and Movie Moments assortments offered (initially) 21 collectible replicas of the primary film characters, in a scale slightly larger than the toy manufacturer's signature Hot Wheels cars. The line's unexpected popularity boasted to Mattel the potential for longevity, and the company followed the series with a 2007 mainline amidst a holiday-season brand refresh.

As the only annual series never to receive a collector poster, the wiki refers to the contents of the Red Line Club-exclusive 2006 Factory Sealed Set as the mainline assortment. Consequently, it is unique in having two highly limited blister cards (Dirt Track McQueen and Rollin' Bowlin'™ Mater at 500 units each) having only been available outside of public retail.

Background

Production on the Cars die-cast toy line began in early 2004. At this time, the film was slated for a November 2005 theatrical release. That summer, Mattel's design team traveled to Pixar studios, where they were shown digital artwork and a rough workprint of the film. According to former Hot Wheels Senior Designer Dave Martis, management believed the line to be a "gamble," and the initial plan was to design 1:64-scale vehicles and playsets to eventually "blend" into the basic Hot Wheels line once the release of Cars had come and gone. However, uncertainty quickly arose when the main character Lightning McQueen's appearance proved challenging to model, and in June, the scale was raised to 1:55.

Mattel designers worked very closely with Disney and Pixar up until the film's launch. Director John Lasseter was often critical of the company's eye for "profits" over artistic integrity, and fought to maintain accuracy and authenticity in the character representations; the original Guido prototype, which featured posed fork lifts, had to be re-worked into the final version with parallel "arms".

The first shipments of singles came in January 2006 from Thailand. The line was launched in South Korea on July 1.

Vehicles

In April 2006, 12 vehicles were released in the initial assortment. Later in July 2006, an extra 4 vehicles (2 of which being re-painted versions of Ramone and Lightning McQueen) were added to the lineup.

Character Cars

Cars Character Cars Assortment (H6405)

Photo	Model Name	Bio	Toy #	Notes	Cardback(s)	Edit
50863	Lightning McQueen	KAACHING! KAACHAA! It's Lightning McQueen. He is speed! He is confidence. And he's got the chance to be the youngest car ever to win the Piston Cup.	A H6406	— 50863	2006_H6406	edit
57884	Sally	Sally is a pretty little Porsche who looks good in the curves. She runs the Cozy Cone Motel, the cleanest, coziest and most conical Motel in all of Carburetor County.	A H6407	H6407_57884 Rear "Carrera" text differs between Thailand and later China models (ref)	2006_H6407	edit
57847	Mater	Dad Gum! It just don't get more fun than tractor tippin' with Mater! He is also the best dang backwards driver in Radiator Springs!	A H6408	H6408_57847 Initial Thailand version featured full-metal body (connected "cab" and tow bay); China shift introduced plastic tow bay, now fused to the metal cab segment with a (minorly) visible seam (ref)	2006_H6408	edit
57883	Sheriff	You just don't mess with the Sheriff! Lightning McQueen immediately gets on the wrong side of the law by tearing up Radiator Springs.	A H6409	NEW First release H6409_57883	2006_H6409	edit
57857	Doc Hudson	Doc Hudson is the town doctor and judge. He also has a personal dislike of racecars, so when Lightning McQueen tears up the town, Doc shows no mercy.	A H6410	— 57857	2006_H6410	edit
57885	Lizzie	Lizzie runs the Curio Shop, and is somewhat of a "curio" herself. Because she is the oldest resident of Radiator Springs all the townsfolk like to joke that Lizzie was built right after the invention of the wheel.	A H6411	NEW First release H6411_57885 Thailand version has slight shape variation on radiator cap (ref)	2006_H6411	edit
50864	Chick Hicks	Being a consistent 2nd place finisher has made Chick Hicks look out for only #1, himself. He has been known to resort to dastardly racing tactics in his bid for the winner's circle.	A H6412	NEW First release H6412_50864 Labeled as "Chick" on cardback	2006_H6412	edit
55592	King	The King is the reigning champ, having won the Piston Cup many years in a row. His main competitors are a dirty driver named Chick Hicks and a hot shot rookie named Lightning McQueen.	A H6413	NEW First release H6413_55592 "Full" wheel well; shortly changed to slanted (ref)	2006_H6413	edit
57869	Sarge	Sarge is a 1942 WWII Willy's Army Jeep. He's usually up with the sun and performs all his daily tasks with military precision. Luckily he lives next to Fillmore, a laid-back 1960 VW Bus, who challenges his way of thinking.	A H6414	NEW First release H6414_57869	2006_H6414	edit
57848	Fillmore	Fillmore is a mellow Microbus but he knows that oil is not the best source of energy. So he's out to make the world a better place, one tank of organic fuel at a time.	A H6415	NEW First release H6415_57848 Initially released as "Filmore"; nametag was corrected in later shipments	2006_H6415	edit
57887	Wingo	What he lacks in overall size, he makes up for with his crazy stack of spoilers. His tuner buddies refer to him as the "wingnut".	A H6416	NEW First release H6416_57887	2006_H6416	edit
57886	DJ	DJ is a tricked-out tuner car with a blastin' sound system. When he spins some smooth jazz for a sleepy Mack, he sets the wheels in motion for Lightning McQueen's adventure.	A H6417	NEW First release H6417_57886	2006_H6417	edit
55609	Dinoco McQueen	KAACHING! KAACHAA! It's Lightning McQueen. If he wins the Piston Cup, he will gain the prized Dinoco sponsorship! And with the Dinoco sponsorship comes a whole new outlook, and a whole new look!	A J6420	NEW First release J6420_55609	2006_J6420	edit
57861	Ramone	Ramone's House of Body Art has at least one steady customer, Ramone! He likes to change his paint job at least once a day.	A J6421	NEW First release J6421_57861	2006_J6421	edit
50701	Nitroade	To make it to the Piston Cup takes a lot of dedication, guts and horsepower! Here's to the Nitroade car. He may not have come in in[sic] the top 3, but he's a winner none-the-less!	A J6422	NEW First release J6422_50701	2006_J6422	edit
50700	Leakless	To make it to the Piston Cup takes a lot of dedication, guts and horsepower! Here's to the Leakless car. He may not have come in in[sic] the top 3, but he's a winner none-the-less!	A J6423	NEW First release J6423_50700	2006_J6423	edit

The Hot Wheels Red Line Club-exclusive 2006 Factory Sealed Set contained 2 carded cars previously only available in playsets.

Photo	Model Name	Bio	Product #	Notes	Cardback(s)
	Rollin' Bowlin' Mater	Dad Gum! It just don't get more fun than tractor tippin' with Mater! He is also the best dang backwards driver in Radiator Springs!	J6433	—
	Dirt Track McQueen	KAACHING! KAACHAA! It's Lightning McQueen. He is speed! He is confidence. And he's got the chance to be the youngest car ever to win the Piston Cup.	J6434	—

Movie Moments

Movie Moments Assortment (H6418)

Photo	Model Name	Bio	Toy #	Notes	Cardback(s)	Edit
58796	Tractor	You need a set of tires in Radiator Springs, you go to Luigi's Casa Della Tires. Luigi and Guido will fix you up with some steel belted white walls. And if you're a tractor with an exhaust problem, they may even have something in back to help you out.	A H6419	NEW First release H6419_58796	2006_H6419	edit
59640	Luigi			NEW First release H6419_59640		edit
59641	Guido			NEW First release H6419_59641		edit
57888	Snot Rod	Boost and Snot Rod are a couple of fun-loving tuner cars. When they drive up on a very sleepy Mack on a lone stretch of highway, they set the wheels in motion for Lightning McQueen's adventure in Radiator Springs.	A H6421	NEW First release H6421_57888	2006_H6421	edit
55445	Boost			NEW First release H6421_55445 Original Thailand version has more "cooperish-purple" paint color (ref)		edit
58639	Flo	Flo is a 1950's Motorama show car who owns Flo's Diner, the favorite gathering spot in Radiator Springs. Ramone is a 1959 Impala who runs Ramone's House of Body Art, the local paint and body shop. This stylish couple fell in love at first sight and have been married ever since.	A H8176	NEW First release H8176_58639	2006_H8176	edit
50808	Ramone			— 50808		edit
58839	Stanley	Red is a painfully shy fire engine. It's a good thing he's painted red because he's constantly blushing. Stanley was the founding "father" of Radiator Springs who is immortalized in the town square as a statue. Stanley plays a pivotal role in Lightning McQueen's entrance into town.	A H8177	NEW First release H8177_58839	2006_H8177	edit
58840	Red			NEW First release H8177_58840		edit

Gallery

• 

  Movie Moments prototypes

• 

  Prototypes

• 

  Mater prototype

• 

  Sarge prototype

• 

  King prototype

• 

  Wingo prototype

• 

  Boost & Snot Rod prototypes

• 

  Luigi, Guido, & Tractor prototypes

• 

  Red prototype

• 
• 

See also

• 2006 Factory Sealed Set

References

	This article is part of the Diecast Project, a PCW project that aims to report on every aspect of Mattel's Disney Pixar Cars toy line.
	Project portal...