Luigi

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

## Background

### Personality

Luigi has a kind-hearted and flamboyant personality. He wishes to sell his tires to cars and will get upset when no car buys a tire or wants them for free. Luigi has a vast knowledge of tires and has a tendency to know what type of tires customers truly need as evidenced that Luigi gave Lightning McQueen a set of whitewall tires, knowing they would look good on McQueen. Luigi also has a huge love for racing, especially for Ferrari races by quoting "Luigi follow only the Ferraris." However, after meeting McQueen, Luigi was honoured to change a race car’s tires and supported him during his Piston Cup races where he became a member of McQueen's pit crew.

### Physical Appearance

Luigi is a yellow 1959 Fiat 500 with chrome rims, a black sunroof that is modified to look like his hair, and brown eyes. In the first film, Luigi briefly wears a red hat covered in pins of the Ferrari symbol and of the Italian flag and holds a red flag with the Ferrari symbol on it.

## Film Appearances

### Cars

Many years ago, Luigi and Guido had been working at a tire shop named Luigi's Casa Della Tires. They and the rest of the Radiator Springs residents used to attract a number of customers until the Interstate 40 was built to bypass the town, leaving it and Route 66 forgotten. Forty years later, Luigi and the rest of the residents are spending their time, when they see a race car named Lightning McQueen being chased through the town and unknowingly destroying the main road while being attached to the statue of the town's founder Stanley. Luigi is cross with McQueen the next day and agrees with Sally that McQueen should fix the road with a road-paving machine named Bessie since Luigi won't be able to sell his tires if the road is not fixed. By the mention of McQueen being a race car, Luigi is pleased by the fact that he and Guido are fans of racing, but it soon turns out that McQueen is not a Ferrari, since Luigi only watches Ferrari racing.

When Van and Minny come through Radiator Springs while trying to find the Interstate, Guido and Luigi attempt to get them to buy tires, but they decline everyone's attempt to buy something. Guido and the other residents get unhappy when McQueen causes the road's new tarmac to get sloppy and bumpy due to pulling Bessie too fast but is cheered up by the news that he challenges a race against Doc Hudson because he attempts to perform a pit stop. This attempt, however, fails after McQueen points out what Sheriff said about the race is only one lap. Despite this, Luigi excitedly starts the race where McQueen, but notices that Doc stayed at the starting line. Luigi tries to help Doc go on with the race, but watches Doc drive with Mater come to the sight where McQueen falls into a cactus pit, leaving Doc to finish the race and forcing McQueen to repave the road at a much slower speed.

When part of the road is fixed the next day, Luigi is captivated by the new road, believing it to have been paved by angels. When Lizzie remarks that the new road makes his shop look like a dump, Luigi is offended by her comment until he notices how old and unkept his store looks, making Luigi realize that Lizzie is right. So Luigi and Guido begin polishing their tire shop, even being congratulated by Sally. The next day, McQueen tells everyone that Doc used to be a racer, but none of them believe him, having not been told by Doc before. That evening, a stampede of tractors comes into Radiator Springs, and Luigi tries to stop a tractor from eating radial tires and have it eat snow tires.

The next morning, everyone sees that the road has been completed and there is no sign of McQueen. Immediately, McQueen turns up, having decided not to leave yet because he wants to help out the residents after hearing about what happened to the town when the Interstate was built. When McQueen says he wants to buy new tires before he leaves for California, Luigi becomes overjoyed to have a customer for the first time in years that he gives McQueen a hug. McQueen asks for a set of blackwall tires, but Luigi refuses, saying that he knows what McQueen wants: a set of whitewall tires. McQueen takes Luigi's advice and Luigi has Guido perform a pit stop to give McQueen a set of whitewall tires. It also turns out that the neon lights of every building have been fixed, and everyone decides to take a cruise around, until the press arrives to take McQueen to the final Piston Cup race of the season, due to Doc calling them after being displeased by the fact that McQueen did not leave. However, Doc regrets his decision when he sees how sad everyone is about McQueen leaving and informs his friends his old days of being a race car.

At the Los Angeles International Speedway, Luigi shows up with the Radiator Springs folk to help Lightning during the race. When Chick Hicks' pit crew begins to tease Guido by telling him that he is not fit for changing tires, Luigi stops him from speaking against them, saying that he will soon have his chance. During the race, Chick purposely punctures McQueen's tire, bringing out the pace car. With no time to lose, Guido performs a very quick pit stop, lasting four seconds, making McQueen able to get back on the track in front of the pace car. His performance also leaves Chick's pit crew shocked and their grilles, which represent moustaches, to fall off. Luigi congratulates his friend for making an excellent pit stop.

On the final lap, McQueen gets into the lead, and the whole townsfolk cheer on for him before Chick purposely rams The King off the track. When McQueen sees this, he screeches to a halt before he could cross the finish line, leaving Luigi and the others confused, until they see that McQueen is deciding to let The King finish his final race. As a response, Luigi and everyone else congratulates McQueen for his heroism.

Soon after the race, Guido and Luigi decide to redecorate their shop, when they notice Ferrari racer Michael Schumacher Ferrari arriving in the store with his friends to buy new tires. Luigi becomes so overjoyed to have a real Ferrari in his shop that he faints. Meanwhile, McQueen sets up his racing headquarters in Radiator Springs, attracting customers once again and allowing Luigi to sell his tires once again while spending quality time with his friends.

### Mater and the Ghostlight

Luigi appears along with the other residents of Radiator Springs in the short, Mater and the Ghostlight.

### Cars 2

Luigi plays a minor role in the second film.

He is first seen greeting Lightning McQueen upon his return to Radiator Springs. He later joins McQueen, Guido, Mater, and Sarge for the World Grand Prix. It is shown that, during the second part of the competition that lands them in Porto Corsa, Luigi is fascinated by Ferrari cars and ends up dating one of them. He is also greeted by his family, who welcomes McQueen's pit crew from Radiator Springs to Luigi's hometown village.

### Cars 3

Luigi returns in Cars 3. He would first appear as a member of Lightning's pit crew with other residents from Radiator Springs at the beginning of the film. He and Guido later accompany Lightning on his trips to the Rust-Eze Racing Center, Fireball Beach, Thunder Hollow Speedway and Thomasville, often serving as a flag car in Lightning's training sessions. He is once again part of Lightning's pit crew at the Florida 500 and serves as the flag car for the race at Willy's Butte.

## TV Appearances

### Cars Toons

Luigi has a minor role in the Mater's Tall Tales series, appearing along with the other residents of Radiator Springs as background characters. His role in the Tales from Radiator Springs series is slightly more major.

## Other Appearances

A non-anthropomorphic Luigi is seen during the epilogue at the end of the 2003 animated film, Finding Nemo driving across the street.

## Disney Parks

Luigi originally served as the host of Luigi's Flying Tires in Cars Land before it was replaced by Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters. He also appears in Radiator Springs Racers to welcome racers who enter his store, then he and Guido head to the starting line to start the race.

In Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy, he and Guido briefly appear to change Lightning's tires after Chick lowers his tire pressure.

**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