Tow Mater is is an anthropomorphic tow truck of the Pixar Cars franchise. His appearances include the feature films Cars, Cars 2, and Cars 3, as well as in the TV series Cars Toons and Cars on the Road. Mater is also a playable character in each of the Cars video game installments. He is Lightning McQueen's best friend. He is voiced by Larry the Cable Guy.
Trivia[]
Before Larry the Cable Guy was cast, Dee Bradley Baker and Carlos Alazraqui were considered to voiced Tow Mater.
Mater's license plate is A113, a recurring number in Pixar movies.
According to his passport in Cars 2, Mater was born on January 12, 1957. This is a reference to John Lasseter, whose birthday is the same as Mater's.
His passport also states that he was born in Radiator Springs. However, Cars on the Road episode, Gettin' Hitched, states otherwise.
Head of story and co-director Joe Ranft got the inspiration of Mater after seeing an old abandoned rusty tow truck during a research trip to Route 66. The character was named after and partly based on Douglas "Mater" Keever, a racing fan the Pixar team met during their research trips, and also draws inspiration from several other people the team encountered.
Mater and Ivan are the only characters in Cars 2 that are tow trucks.
Larry the Cable Guy mentioned that Mater isn't self-conscious about how others view him.
He is obsessed with fart jokes, which is why he loves Tractor Tippin'.
Director John Lasseter stated that Mater's pure heart and personality was based on Joe Ranft.
In Cars 3, Mater is a supporting character who stays behind in Radiator Springs, but gives advice to Lightning McQueen on how to defeat Jackson Storm later in the film.
In Cars 2, it is revealed that Mater does not always notice how other cars perceive him, and he begins to doubt himself after realizing that most people see him as being a fool. He regains confidence in himself after reconciling with Lightning McQueen.