In Pixar’s Cars, which famous race car does Doc Hudson once turn out to be?

In Pixar’s Cars, Doc Hudson is revealed to be the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.

Doc was once a celebrated Piston Cup racer who won three championships in the early 1950s. His racing career ended after a crash and a long recovery, followed by the realization that the racing world had moved on without him. He later became Radiator Springs’ doctor and sheriff, keeping his competitive past private.

The Fabulous Hudson Hornet is based on the real Hudson Hornet, a car remembered for its success in stock-car racing. The film turns that historical association into Doc’s personal identity and uses it to explain his skepticism toward Lightning’s fame-driven attitude.

Doc’s story is sometimes confused with that of The King, another veteran racer in Cars. The King is voiced by Richard Petty and drives a Plymouth Superbird. Doc, by contrast, is voiced by the late Paul Newman and is specifically a Hudson Hornet.