In Pixar’s Cars, the retired racer who becomes the Hudson Hornet in Radiator Springs is Doc Hudson.
Doc is the town’s respected judge and physician, but McQueen eventually discovers that he was once a celebrated Piston Cup champion. He raced as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet and won three Piston Cups before a serious crash ended his competitive career.
The character is based on the real Hudson Hornet, a 1950s American car famous for its racing success, especially in stock-car competition. Doc’s history explains both his knowledge of racing and his initial resentment toward the modern racing world. He sees McQueen’s arrogance as a reminder of the attitude that once caused him to be overlooked.
Paul Newman provided Doc Hudson’s voice in Cars and Cars 3 archival material. Doc’s racing number is 51, a detail that distinguishes him from McQueen’s 95 and Chick Hicks’s 86.