The Disney Store Die-Cast Line was launched in 2006, a few months before Cars hit theaters. There were 12 initial die-cast releases, as well as pullbacks and light-up vehicles, and a few playsets.
The die-casts were sold in a red blister card up until 2009, when the acrylic case packaging style was introduced. They featured a different name tag and background for every character.
When Cars 2 was released in 2011, over twenty new models hit the market, and throughout the next two years, many other models were released including "Chaser" cars, models with a limited production run.