Doc Hudson is the former racing champion known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet in Pixar’s Cars.
Before settling in Radiator Springs, Doc was a celebrated racer who won three Piston Cup championships. His racing career ended after a crash and a period of being overlooked by the racing world. He becomes the town’s doctor and tries to keep his past private.
Doc’s identity is inspired by the real Hudson Hornet, a car that achieved major success in early-1950s stock-car racing. The film combines that historical reference with a fictional biography, including Doc’s relationship with the Piston Cup and Radiator Springs.
The King and Chick Hicks are other important racers in Cars, but neither is the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Doc’s number is 51, matching the year 1951, when the Hudson Hornet was introduced. Paul Newman voiced Doc in the original film.