In Pixar’s Cars, Doc Hudson is the judge who orders Lightning McQueen to repair the road.
After McQueen damages Radiator Springs’ main road while trying to escape, Doc presides over the town’s court proceedings. He sentences McQueen to repave the road before leaving. Doc initially appears to be a stern local doctor and judge, but the story later reveals that he was once a celebrated racing champion.
Doc Hudson is a 1951 Hudson Hornet, and his racing history explains his unusually deep knowledge of competition. Paul Newman voiced the character in Cars, which was Newman’s only voice role in an animated feature film. Doc’s hidden past becomes central to McQueen’s development: he teaches that racing is not only about trophies and publicity. The character’s number, 51, refers to the year of the Hudson Hornet model and his racing identity.