Sarge (Cars)

**Sarge** is a supporting character from the Cars Franchise.

## Background

### Personality

Sarge is tough and militaristic, but is nonetheless kind to his friends, although he has a tendency to lose his temper, especially towards Fillmore who his polar opposite. While the two are often yelling at each other, they are the best of friends, and are able to spend time together and find things they actually agree on. Sarge is a former fighter in the war and specializes in army knowledge and loves the chance to train anyone who is in need of off-road training, whether it's the students at his boot camp or Lightning McQueen. Sarge seems to be very protective over Radiator Springs and his friends, and always loves to help no matter how.

### Physical Appearance

Sarge is painted army green, with brown tire treads and green rims. On his back he has a spare tire, although it is rarely ever needed. He has the number 984673 painted in white on either side of his hood and a Sergeant Major insignia on his doors.

He is modelled on a 1942 Willy's MB Jeep, and his license plate reads "41WW2", a reference to World War II and the year the US got in the war, 1941. However, he has no license plate in a large number of video games.

## Film Appearances

### Cars

One night, in Radiator Springs, Sarge and Fillmore watch the stoplight's yellow light blink from Flo's V8 Café. Fillmore comments on how every third blink gets slower where Sarge responds if the 60s' were not good for him. Suddenly, Sarge, Fillmore, and Ramone see race car Lightning McQueen arrive in Radiator Springs where he is being pursued by Sheriff. When McQueen starts driving out of control, Sarge immediately takes cover and witnesses McQueen accidentally destroy the town's road by dragging the statue of the town's founder, Stanley with him and then watches Stanley's statue fly in the air before it lands back at its proper place.

When McQueen is put on trial the next day, Sarge goes to court and angrily glares at McQueen for causing so much trouble. Sarge then sees the town's judge, Doc Hudson enter the courtroom who orders McQueen to immediately leave town and when the town's attorney, Sally Carrera arrives, Sarge greets her. As Sally makes a speech on the history of Radiator Springs where travellers come and go, Sarge demanded to know what travellers, but Fillmore said to everyone to ignore him. Sarge then supports Sally's decision to have McQueen fix the road where he is then sentenced to community service.

Sarge with Fillmore and Sheriff watch McQueen fix the road by pulling Bessie from Flo's V8 Café. When Van and Minny arrive in Radiator Springs, Sarge tries to offer some of his surplus, only to be declined and sadly watches the two cars leave town. When McQueen tries to speed up his progress where he makes the road bumpy, Sarge watches Doc challenge McQueen to a race where he witnesses fall into a cactus pit after failing to make a turn on the dirt track. After that, Sarge watches McQueen scrap off the bumpy road and reacts in disgust when Fillmore offers the race car some of his organic fuel, calling it "freak juice."

When McQueen finishes half of the road, Sarge joins his friends in having fun and driving on the new road. On the next morning, Sarge raises the American flag and salutes to it while playing "Star Spangled Banner," only to disrupted by Fillmore playing music of his own. Annoyed, Sarge yells at Fillmore to turn his music off, calling it "disrespectful junk" where Fillmore counters back by saying "Respect the classics, man! It's Hendrix!" At Flo's, Sarge tells Fillmore to take a car wash when he suggests he do some yoga. When McQueen suddenly comes in and asks if anyone knew Doc was a famous race car, Sarge does not believe him, thinking Doc could never have been a former race car. Sarge then watches Sally fill up McQueen's gas tank where McQueen decides to not run off and instead goes with Sally on a drive. Later, Sarge witnesses Mater arrive with a herd of tractors behind, possibly because he went out tractor tipping.

On the next day, Sarge's "Star Spangled Banner" song is interrupted by Fillmore playing the Hendrix rendition again where they get into a brief argument until they noticed that McQueen had finished fixing the road. Sarge and his friends become sad, thinking Lightning had already left town as Sarge knows they would not want Lightning to miss his Piston Cup race in California. However, Sarge becomes happy when he sees McQueen hasn't left and laughs when Mater finally realizes McQueen is still here. Sarge watches McQueen get new tires at Luigi's Casa Della Tires before giving Lightning some of his surplus. Then, Sarge and the others present McQueen's new look to Sally before the town's fixed neon lights turn on where Fillmore and the others party and have fun. However, the celebration is cut short when the press arrives (due to Doc calling them) and takes McQueen away where Sarge becomes sad to see him before woefully heading into his shop and turning off his lights.

Doc, regretting his decision, tells every one of his past of being a race car and grabs a handful of Radiator Springs residents, Sarge included, to the Piston Cup race in California to support McQueen and be his pit crew. Sarge and the others arrive, just in time, to cheer for McQueen and give him encouragement where Sarge helps Lightning during a brief pit stop before he continues his race. Sarge watches McQueen catch up to The King and Chick Hicks, only to get a flat tire after Chick pushes into him. Sarge witnesses Guido change McQueen so quickly, allowing McQueen to keep his position in the race and Sarge cheers for Guido for making an excellent pit stop. Sarge continues to watch the race and sees McQueen forfeit his chance to win the Piston Cup by helping an injured King cross the finish line. Sarge, despite being moved by Lightning's heroism, tells Fillmore not to embarrass him. Sarge congratulates McQueen and laughs at Dusty and Rusty Rust-Eze’s jokes.

In the end, McQueen sets his racing headquarters in Radiator Springs, putting the town back on the map thanks to McQueen setting up his racing headquarters there where Sarge starts his own boot camp and continues spending time with his friends.

### Cars 2

Sarge is a patriotic veteran who runs the Radiator Springs Army surplus store, Sarge’s Surplus Hut. Sarge’s no-nonsense attitude often leads to bickering with his hippie friend, neighbour and polar opposite, Fillmore. Despite their differences, the two are almost inseparable, even throughout their world travels. A security specialist with military connections around the globe, Sarge joins Lightning and Mater at the World Grand Prix as a member of Team Lightning McQueen.

In the film, he is seen with Fillmore for most of the time. In Italy, he is amazed at a drink that he's drinking, which Fillmore says is organic. He also summons the army and Scotland Yard to fight and catch the lemons. In the end, Fillmore reveals that he replaced Lightning's fuel because he never trusted Axelrod. He also finally says "man", with Fillmore adding "Tree Hugger."

### Cars 3

He also reappears in this film.

**Films:** Cars | Cars 2 | Cars 3
**Short Films:** Mater and the Ghostlight | Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool | Unparalleled Parking | Dancing with the Cars
**Television:** Cars Toons | Cars on the Road
**Books:** Disney's Wonderful World of Reading
**Locations:** Radiator Springs