In the summer of 2006, Pixar Animation Studios took a bold left turn. Following the critical and emotional heights of The Incredibles , the studio rolled out Cars , a film about a arrogant race car named Lightning McQueen who learns humility in the forgotten town of Radiator Springs. While the theatrical release was a box office success (grossing over $460 million worldwide), it received a more mixed critical reception than Pixar’s usual flawless streak. But history—specifically, DVD history—has been extraordinarily kind to it.

While critics in 2006 called Cars "Pixar’s weakest film," the DVD release proved them wrong. It showed that the film wasn't just a story about a race; it was a story about the journey—and for DVD collectors, the journey through the bonus features was just as fun as the destination.

The release of the Cars DVD in late 2006 (typically November) wasn’t just a home video launch; it was a cultural artifact that helped define the "DVD era" at its peak. For modern streaming audiences, this sounds archaic, but the 2006 Cars DVD arrived at a fascinating transitional moment. Shelves were still stocked with two versions: the coveted "Widescreen" (preserving the film’s 2.39:1 cinematic aspect ratio) and the dreaded "Fullscreen" (pan-and-scan, which cropped the image for 4:3 televisions).