Mater is a 1957 International Harvester tow truck character from the Disney Pixar Cars film series. As the tow truck and best friend of Lightning McQueen, Mater has appeared in multiple Pixar Cars films and shorts since 2006. The full Mater die-cast lineup from Mattel spans 20+ years and 156 confirmed variants.
Mattel has produced 156 Mater die-cast variants in the Pixar Cars line since 2006. The full Mater lineup spans 20+ years of releases and includes mainline cards, exclusive series, packaging variations, and movie-specific paint schemes. Each variant has its own Mattel number, assortment code, and release window.
Mater releases break down across 5 distinct Pixar Cars film eras: Cars (2006 film): 52 variants; Cars 2 era (2011-2016): 43 variants; Cars 3 era (2017-2021): 30 variants; Cars on the Road (2022+): 13 variants; Modern releases (2022+): 18 variants. Each era brought new sculpts, paint variations, and packaging treatments. Collectors building the full Mater subset typically work era by era to track which variants they own and which are still missing.
Among the most collectible Mater die-cast variants are Lightning McQueen & Mater (2010), Mater - Toys R Us Exclusive (2013), and One Eye Mater (2013). These releases command higher collector value due to limited production, exclusive retailer status, or strong demand from collectors completing the Pixar Cars set. Click any Mater on this page to see its current rarity score and 10-year collector value projection.
Whether Mater Pixar Cars toys hold collector value depends heavily on the specific variant. Mainline Mater releases from active production years stay near retail. Discontinued, exclusive, and Chase variants trade above retail on the secondary market — sometimes substantially. Each Mater variant tracked on Pixar Cars Garage includes its current collector value estimate and a 10-year value projection.
Pixar Cars Garage maintains the most complete Mater variant tracker available, with all 156 confirmed releases cataloged from 2006 to today. Members log which Mater variants they own, see exactly which versions are still missing from their collection, and track the collector value of their Mater subset over time. Registration is free and takes about 30 seconds.
