Herb Thomas inspired the fictional Hudson Hornet character in Pixar's Cars.
Thomas was a pioneering NASCAR driver who raced a Hudson Hornet in the early 1950s. He won the NASCAR Grand National championship in 1951 and 1953, and his success helped make the real Hudson Hornet one of the best-known stock cars of its era.
In Cars, Doc Hudson is revealed to have been the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a three-time Piston Cup champion. The character's racing history echoes Thomas's accomplishments, though Doc is a fictional vehicle with his own personal story. Paul Newman supplied Doc's speaking voice in the first film.
Fans sometimes connect Doc mainly with other famous NASCAR drivers because the character carries elements of several racing legends. However, Pixar specifically based the Hudson Hornet's historical identity on Herb Thomas. The real Hudson Hornet was also known for its “step-down” design, which gave it a lower center of gravity and helped its competition performance.