Jim Hill Media posts some thoughts about the Pixar 20th anniversary discussion at WonderCon a few weeks ago, including some tidbits about the animation studio’s upcoming Route 66-themed film, “Cars.”

One is that “Cars” was partly inspired by a 1952 Disney animated short, “Little Deuce Coupe.”

Written by Bill Peet, it offers the story of the little blue car purchased from the showroom floor. Her first owner takes good care of her, but she is eventually traded in for a newer model. Her later owners aren’t too kind and she eventually winds up abandoned in a junk yard. But there she finds new life at the hands of young man willing to tinker and bring her back to the road as a classic Fifties hot rod. (Fans of this short and more like it will be happy to learn that it will be released on May 16 as part of new two-disc set entitled, “Walt Disney’s It’s A Small World of Fun,” at $14.95 for each disc.)

Interestingly enough, 1952’s “One Cab’s Family� from MGM and Tex Avery also featured anthropomorphic automobiles with the story of a small car that wants to be a hot rod, only to meet his fate while trying to beat a train at a crossing. Warner Brothers told a similar story in 1937 with “Streamlined Greta Green� directed by Friz Freeling offering the story of a small car who wants to grow up to be a taxi cab, only to stray from the right path under the influence of hi-test gasoline and ends up at the garage, worse for wear after he tried to beat a train at a crossing.

All in all, it certainly will be nice to see how things come full circle with “Cars� bringing us back to the animated automotive world under the new Disney/Pixar banner. How that world came to be was another part of the panel’s presentation. We heard how teams of artists traveled Route 66 (on one trip, it was ten people in three Cadillacs over nine days) to take in the character (as well as some of the characters) to be found along the way. Reference materials even included taking soil samples!

Go read it. It’s a tantalizing look at Pixar’s research and creative process.