Doc Hudson is the Hudson Hornet-inspired racing legend in Pixar’s Cars.
Doc Hudson is a fictional 1951 Hudson Hornet who once raced under the number 51. He was known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet and won three Piston Cups before a crash ended his racing career. In Radiator Springs, he becomes the town’s doctor and later secretly trains Lightning McQueen.
The character’s history draws on the real Hudson Hornet, a car famous for its success in early stock-car racing. The real automobile used a low center of gravity and a powerful “step-down” design, qualities that helped Hudson drivers compete effectively in the early 1950s.
Doc is voiced by Paul Newman in Cars. Newman’s voice performance was his final role in a feature film released during his lifetime. Cars 3 later honors Doc through McQueen’s paint scheme and renewed connection to his racing legacy.