Mater

Stop the lemons from killing Lightning and then to find out who is the real culprit behind the conspiracy of the Allinol (*Cars 2*; succeeded).
Support Lightning with his relationship with Cruz (*Cars 3*; succeeded).
Travel to see his sister (*Cars on the Road*)

### Family

Tommy Joe (cousin)
Buford (cousin)
Cletus (cousin)
Judd (cousin)
Zeke (cousin)
Lewis (cousin)Unnamed sister

### Friends/Allies

Lightning McQueen (best friend)
Sally Carrera
Lizzie
Finn McMissile
Holley Shiftwell (girlfriend)
Doc Hudson
Luigi
Guido
Flo
Ramone
Sarge
Fillmore
Red
Rod Redline
Sheriff
Mack
Stanley Steamer
Mator
Mia and Tia
Francesco Bernoulli
Siddeley
Lewis Hamilton
Carla Veloso
Smokey
Miss Fritter
Cruz Ramirez

### Enemies

Chick Hicks
Big D
Kabuto
Sir Miles Axlerod (arch-nemesis)
Professor Zündapp
Grem
Acer
Victor Hugo
Tubbs Pacer
J. Curby Gremlin
Vladimir Trunkov
Ivan
Alexander Hugo
Fred Pacer
Petrov Trunkov
Lemons
Bubba
Jackson Storm
Sterling
Frank

### Type of Deuteragonist

No information

**Sir Tow Mater**, referred to as simply **Mater**, is the deuteragonist of the Disney/Pixar *Cars* franchise, serving as a major character in Pixar's 7th full-lenght animated film *Cars*, the main protagonist of it's 2011 sequel *Cars 2*, a supporting character in *Cars 3* the titular main protagonist of *Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales* and one of the main characters of *Cars Toons: Tales of Radiator Springs*, and one of the two main protagonists/deuteragonists (alongside Lightning McQueen) of the Disney +/Pixar TV show series *Cars on the Road*.

He is a rusty old tow truck and Lightning McQueen's best friend.

He is voiced by famous comedian Larry the Cable Guy. In the Japanese dub from the movie, he is voiced by Tomomitsu Yamaguchi, who also voiced Lenny in *Shark Tale*.

## Appearance

He is a rusty old tow truck (Boom Truck). He is currently covered in rust, and the only spots on where paint is visible on him are the rear and the sides. When he wasn't rusty, he was cyan-colored as an 8-year-old youngster.

## Personality

Mater is a hilarious, fantastically friendly, good-natured, and loyal tow truck who happens to be best friends with Lightning McQueen. He has unconditional love for everyone and for other creatures too. However, he has shown to be smart, such as his knowledge of automobiles and engines and how he managed to expose Miles Axelrod for his crimes. He is shown to have the biggest heart in Radiator Springs and is sweet to a fault.

He has shown to make jokes at times, such as joking that Sally is his fiancée, when she's really not, or teasing Lightning for not being able to honk or him being in love with Sally.

## In other media

### *Cars: The Video Game*

Mater makes his first appearance in *Cars: The Video Game* as the announcer of the Radiator Springs Grand Prix, which later turns out to be a dream by McQueen. In the Tractor Tipping minigame, McQueen asks Mater to go tractor tipping, which he agrees, surprised that McQueen would want to go tractor tipping because he thought that McQueen was frightened of Frank. He is then controlled by the player in the minigame.

He later teaches McQueen how to drive backwards, by setting out a course, where McQueen has to turn around and drive backwards at the same time as him on certain straights. After the lesson, Mater congratulates McQueen, and calls him "Mr. Gintil", which he was trying to spell his name backwards, only to be corrected by McQueen that it is "Litnig" forwards.

In Ornament Valley, Mater prepares for a race at the Rustbucket Stadium, by banging into a wall on purpose. McQueen comes along, telling him that most cars do not bang into walls on purpose, making Mater explain about the Rustbucket Race-O-Rama. One of his cousins, Tommy Joe, then appears, banging into McQueen, angering him before Mater explains that it is just Tommy's way of greeting. He asks McQueen to help out in the race, only to be saddened when McQueen decides to sit it out. After winning the race, Mater receives a boost tank, which he gives to McQueen.

In the final chapter of the game, he is one of the announcers of the races in Radiator Springs, Ornament Valley, and Tailfin Pass, alongside Darrell Cartrip. After McQueen wins the Piston Cup, Mater joins him and Sally on a drive along the road outside of Radiator Springs.

### *Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures*

Mater appears in several of the activities in *Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures*. In Fill `Er Up, he is one of the customers who come to Flo's V8 Cafe. Tow the Line has him towing his cousins around his yard without bumping into the line and fences. He suggests to McQueen to go tractor tipping in Tractor Roundup, which both of them are controlled in different levels as the player has to make them tip tractors. In Chopper-Hopper, he takes a ride in Rotor Turbosky, the Dinoco helicopter. He is also one of the characters who can be raced against in Legends Race mode.

### *Cars: Mater-National Championship*

In *Cars: Mater-National Championship*, Mater invites racers from all around the world to take part in the Mater-National Championship, with McQueen's racing headquarters being built. At the Rustbucket Stadium, he begins to fall for a British rally car named Emma, who his cousins were staring at for the last hour. Mater soon takes part in a race against Emma and several of the other Rustbucket racers, and later takes her to see the best gas station that he knows in town.

When McQueen is fitted with monster truck tires by Luigi, Mater becomes surprised upon seeing his appearance, and is saddened on that he is wanting to be a monster truck as well. Luckily for him, McQueen searches for more parts around Radiator Springs, and Mater begins doing a rampage in his home. He makes a jump and then smashes his house, which he is actually happy about, telling McQueen that he would not be able to fit in it anymore. McQueen states that it would be no problem if he took his monster truck tires off, but Mater refuses to take them off. However, he somehow does as shown later in the game.

Some time later, Mater takes McQueen out tractor tipping, only for the tractors to soon escape. Just as Mater attempts to tip of the tractors that are wandering around Radiator Springs, he gets spotted by Sheriff, who orders him not to go to the field again, and also plays a trick on Mater by putting a lamp on his tow hook to make him think the ghost light is chasing him. A day later, Mater comes across a Japanese drifter named Koji, and responds to his greeting by saying the Japanese word "Konichiwa!", although he is unable to translate Koji asking if he can race McQueen, believing that he is wanting to race him while blindfolded, driving backwards and wearing flat tires. After McQueen and Koji's race, Mater amazes them by drifting along a bend, tripping over the end of a bridge, and spinning in the air before coming back down. The headquarters is soon finished, and all of the racers admit that they would like to invite Mater, McQueen, and their friends over to Europe, saying that it is just on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, to which Mater points out that he cannot swim. To mark the end of the Mater-National Championship, everyone gets their photo taken in front of the headquarters.

### *Cars: Race-O-Rama*

While McQueen has a battle with Chick throughout the Race-O-Rama series, where Chick threatens to take over Radiator Springs, Mater competes in the Rustbucket Derby, coming across Bubba, who is known to him for badly abusing him in the past. Bubba has come to challenge him in the Rustbucket Derby, with Tater and Tater Jr. by his sides. However, Tater and Tater Jr. soon begin a friendship with Mater, starting with when they realize that their names rhyme. Eventually, Mater wins the Rustbucket series, being congratulated by Tater and Tater Jr., while Bubba threatens to get his revenge on Mater soon.

Also in the game, there are minigames based on *Mater the Greater*, *El Materdor*, and *Tokyo Mater*, where the player's aim is to get Mater on the target at the other side of Carburetor Canyon, dodge the bulldozers in time, and beat Kabuto to the top of Tokyo Tower. He can also be played as in his monster truck form in the Monster Truck Mayhem races.

### *The World of Cars Online*

Before *The World of Cars Online* was closed down, players could meet Mater while exploring Radiator Springs, and get missions from him near his Junkyard.

### *Cars 2: The Video Game*

After the events of the second film, Mater and his friends join C.H.R.O.M.E. to be trained for spy missions, being assisted by Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell. Mater's first simulation goes well when he helps get Finn free from being captured by the lemons and chase Professor Z.

Mater is available at the start of the game, with variant versions of him unlocked as the player progresses. Materhosen is unlocked in-game by collecting the "Agent - Fourth Class" crest, which is collected when the player collects ten crests or badges. The others are available as downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, costing $0.99 each. They are Tokyo Mater, Mater the Greater, Mater Ivan and Mater Kabuki. He is in the "Heavy" class, having a lot more power than speed.

### *Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure*

Mater makes his appearance in the *Cars* levels of *Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure*. In the first part of the story, Mater tells the player that they have been selected to become part of McQueen's team, but first try out a course that he had designed for the best drivers. The player's aim is to drive through the course while following Mater. After the challenge is completed, Mater finds that the player has done so well to race in McQueen's team, while Holley adds that the player would also be perfect for doing spy work.

When the player unlocks a goal that allows their character to spin and collect coins that are in a semi-circle, Mater can be heard communicating through the radio when the semi-circles appear.

### *Disney Infinity*

Mater is one of the playable characters in the first *Disney Infinity* game, being compatible in the sequels. He is able to be used in the Cars Play Set for the first game, and the Toy Box in any of the games, which his figure is available separately. In the story, he and the townsfolk plan to get Radiator Springs ready for a racing competition being held, along with trying to figure out what to do on his and Holley's date. After Chick Hicks loses the final race, Holley makes an agreement to have their date at Flo's V8 Cafe.

In the first game, he has an exclusive Toy Box Adventure called Mater's Tow 'n' Go. The objective is to tow tourist cars to areas that have a light matching the color of that car.

### *Cars: Fast as Lightning*

At the beginning of the mobile game *Cars: Fast as Lightning*, Mater takes two races against McQueen on his track. McQueen is able to win both but apologizes to Mater for beating him in the first race, to which Mater replies that he is not upset about it.

Throughout the game, Mater is one of the characters who give out missions to the player. He is unlocked as a playable character after the player beats him while playing as Fillmore in the tournament races. Unlocking him will also unlock his race track and the Mater Statue. Occasionally, he sleeps in Tow Mater Towing & Salvage. He also has four paint jobs: Mater the Greater, Tokyo, Winter, and Santa Hat. These are unlocked by winning practice races on Mater's race track or purchasing them with gems.

### *Cars 3: Driven to Win*

Mater and his alter-ego *Mater The Greater* appeared in *Cars 3: Driven to Win* as playable characters. *Mater the Greater* serves as a guide in his own stunt-racing event, and completing it unlocks him as a playable character.

## Disney Parks

Mater appears in Disney's Hollywood Studios along with McQueen, both as "drive-around" characters and in a sequence added to Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show to tie-in with Cars 2. Mater hosts Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and appears in Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure.

Beginning in 2018, Mater wears his "Dracula Mater" disguise from *Cars 2* during the Halloween season, while during Christmas seasons, he wears a Santa hat. During safety protocols due to COVID-19, Mater does not drive around and remains stationary outside Fillmore's Taste-In.

Mater also appears in some Disney on Ice shows. A figure of Mater also appears at Walt Disney Studios Park, Disneyland Paris at the Cars Race Rally attraction watching over the action. A statue of Mater can also be found at Disney's Art of Animation Resort.

## Trivia

* Woody Harrelson, Jim Carrey, Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Josh Gad, Tom Kenny, Charlie Day, Fred Armisen, Rob Paulsen, David Schwimmer, Willem Dafoe, John Goodman, Kevin James, David Spade, James Woods, Vince Vaughn, Billy Bob Thornton, Rob Schnieder, Mark Hamill, Steve Carell, Steve Zahn, Danny DeVito and David Cross were all considered for the role of Mater before Larry the Cable Guy was casted.
* A113, a joke found in other Pixar films, is Mater's license plate.
* It is highly speculated by fans and heavily implied by the film franchise that Tow Mater has high functioning autism or is somewhere on the spectrum (because of his vast encyclopedic savant-like knowledge, he likes to self stimulate when he feels overwhelmed and he has sensory processing disorder problems. He is also quite obsessive with things that interest him and he's a very visual thinker) He also takes idioms and sarcasm too literally and he's a poor socializer (he's socially inept).
	+ Mater is the only character in the *Cars* franchise with crooked teeth.
	+ Mater and Ivan are the only characters in *Cars 2* that are tow trucks.
	+ None of the characters, not even Mater himself, use Mater's first name, Tow.
	+ During the credits' roll of *Cars 2*, Mater's passport scrolls past. His birth date is listed on it. It turns out to be the same as John Lasseter's: January 12, 1957.
		- This would mean Mater was 49 years old in the first movie.
	+ During the last section of the World Grand Prix Mater is described as the world's greatest backwards driver.
	+ Mater is American and, in real life, only people from the Commonwealth realm (the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) can be knighted. People from outside a Commonwealth realm can, however, receive an honorary knighthood, but they cannot be referred to as "Sir". It is possible that Mater was granted British citizenship to receive his knighthood.
	+ It is revealed in *Time Travel Mater* that he always cries at weddings. This is probably due to having a very emotional and sensitive personality.
	+ Mater breaks the fourth wall in the first movie: During the closing song "Route 66", he can be seen in the crowd looking at the viewers while singing some verses of the soundtrack.
	+ In the credits, it is shown that he is knighted on Tuesday, July 15, 2011. However, July 15, 2011, was not on Tuesday in real life, it was on Friday.
	+ In the subtitles for the audio commentary on *Cars 2*, John Lasseter describes Mater with "**two miniguns**" but the subtitles say "**two many guns**".
	+ Mater was the only resident of Radiator Springs who had no dislike of Lighting McQueen when he first arrived even outright saying that he liked him when he was in the impound lot.
	+ 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's name has been changed in many other language dubs:
		- In Arabic, he is called "ماطم" (Matem).
		- In Spanish and Portuguese, he is called "Mate".
		- In French, he is called "Martin".
		- In Polish, Mater is called "Złomek" (z-wom-eh-k).
		- In German, he is called "Hook".
		- In Dutch, he is called "Takel".
		- In Italian, he is called "Carl Attrezzi", a pun on "carro attrezzi", which means "tow truck"; however, he is more often referred by his nickname "Cricchetto", from the car tool "cric".
		- In Swedish, he is called "Bärgarn", which suits him since he is a tow truck.
		- In Japanese, he is called "メーター" (me-ta-).
		- In Mandarin (Taiwan), he is called "拖線".
		- In Mandarin (China), he is called "板牙".
		- In Cantonese, he is called "哨牙嘜".
		- In Danish, he is called "Bumle".
		- In Bulgarian, he is called Матю (Matthew).
		- In Hungarian, he is called Matuka.
		- In Russian, he is called "Мэтр" (metre).
		- In Finnish, he is called "Martti".
	+ According to the *Cars 2* DVD commentary, Lasseter wanted Mater to be the only one to know that Miles Axlerod was behind the conspiracy to sabotage the World Grand Prix so everyone could see him go from being the dumbest guy in the world to the most brilliant guy in the world.
	+ Mater's horn sounds different in the *Disney Infinity* series when it is compared to the sound made in the films. Additionally, in the sequels to the first game, some of his quotes are missing, including the sounds he makes when doing air tricks. To add to that, the third game has a few of the sounds that he makes when side-bashing is absent, as well as the subtitles not covering any of his quotes. It is currently unknown if all of this will be fixed in an update patch of the game.
	+ Mater is an American, but in reality, only people from the United Kingdom can get knighted. However, non-Britishers can receive *honorary* knighthoods, but that does not mean they can be referred to as "Sir".
	+ When Mater was an 8-year-old child (in the Our Town Cars flashback), all of his body was painted baby blue. Today, however, his doors are more like a light green pastel color instead of baby blue like the rest of his paint in his youth.
	+ In *Cars 3*, Mater has a bunch of flaps that he collects. He has mud flaps, fishing flaps, church flaps, and going out to eat flaps.
	+ 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's license plate is A113, a recurring code in Pixar films.
	+ If you listen to the way Mater talks real closely, you can see that he talks with a lisp to his voice (as he talks, the air kind of whistles through the gap between his buck teeth) and he doesn't say 'this', he usually says, "dis, dat" and among others along with a "z" at the end of a word like "carz" rather than saying "cars".
	+ One thing to note throughout the series is that Mater's characteristics and loving nature are very similar to that of a domesticated dog.
	+ It is noted by John Lasseter that Mater is way too innocent, pure and kind so he can never hurt or harm any soul. He can't even kill a bumblebee without mourning for its life (in fact, this was shown in the *Cars* teaser trailer).
	+ Larry the Cable Guy mentioned that Mater isn't self-conscious about how others view him.
	+ Mater is one of those sensitive guy types. He tends to act and behave more on the feminine side than a macho strong man.
	+ Also, it is noted in the Cars books, like "Mater's Birthday Surprise" and in "Mater and the Easter Buggy", that his favorite colors are mostly, blue, green, orange, yellow, and most defiantly pink and purple (more of the lighter softer colors). He also likes the color red.
	+ During the last section of the World Grand Prix, Mater is described as the World's greatest backwards driver.
	+ Mater is one of the believers in Jesus because he has church flaps and he goes to church.
	+ One of his catchphrases is "Git-R-Done!" his actor, Larry the Cable Guy's signature phrase.
	+ Many fans speculate that Mater is somewhere on the autism spectrum. This is due to his tendency to self-stimulate, his encyclopedia-like knowledge, his sensory processing issues, his inability to socialize, and his blindness to sarcasm.
	+ Many fans speculate that Mater's biological parents are Lizzie and Stanley. He behaves like both of them and he has the same big buck teeth and goofy droopy eyes as Stanley. His speech pattern is a mix between Stanley's southern accent and Lizzie's voice. He forgets easily and is really crazy like Lizzie. He also says yes "siree", "oh apple sauce", and "Dad-Gum" like Stanley used to say. His horn is also mixed between Lizzie's long deep horn and Stanley's short loud horn.
		- This was disproven in *Cars on the Road*, where it was revealed that Mater was born to a rich family outside of Radiator Springs.
	+ The country bumpkin tow truck Mater got his name from NASCAR superfan Douglas “Mater” Keever, whom the filmmakers met while on a research trip to North Carolina’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway (now called the Charlotte Motor Speedway). Keever has a voice cameo in the film, as the motor home who says “Well dip me in axle grease and call me slick” early in the film. (Keever improvised the line, which was originally “Well dip me in axle grease and call me lubrication.” Producer Darla Anderson opted to change it, Keveer speculated, because “maybe she thought it sounded sexual, I don’t know.”)
	+ His concept name was Tom.
		- His concept name was also Zeb.

## External Links

* Mater on the Love Exalted Wiki
* Mater on the Protagonists Wiki
* Mater on the Hero Wiki
* Mater on the Disney Wiki
* Mater on the Pixar Wiki
* Mater on the *Pixar Cars* Wiki

## Navigation

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