Tow Mater is the beloved and lovable rusty tow truck from the Pixar animated movie Cars. He is best friends with Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car, and is one of the most recognizable characters from the movie. Tow Mater’s age has been speculated on by fans for years, but what year of truck is Tow Mater?
Tow Mater is based on a 1952-54 International Harvester L-170 tow truck.
This model was produced in two generations, each with its own unique design features. The first generation of this model were built between 1952 and 1954 and featured a distinctive curved grille and headlights with chrome trim. The later generation was built between 1955 and 1956 and featured a flat grille and rectangular headlights without chrome trim.
The filmmakers at Pixar chose to use elements from both generations in creating Tow Mater’s look. The curved grille, round headlights with chrome trim, as well as the body shape are all reminiscent of the earlier models. However, Tow Mater also has some features that are more typical of the later models such as his yellow paint job and his rectangular taillights.
So what year of truck is Tow Mater? Based on his various design elements it is safe to say that he would fall somewhere between 1952-56 International Harvester L-170 tow trucks. This makes him about 65 years old in human years!
Tow Mater has been loved by fans for over a decade now and is sure to remain one of Pixar’s most iconic characters for many years to come. He may be an old truck but he still has plenty of life left in him!
Conclusion: Based on his design elements, Tow Mater would likely be classified as being between a 1952-56 International Harvester L-170 tow truck which makes him about 65 years old in human years!
