Which legendary Hudson model is Doc Hudson in Pixar’s Cars?

Doc Hudson is a 1951 Hudson Hornet in Pixar’s Cars.

The character is designed as a classic American sedan with a hidden racing history. Before settling in Radiator Springs, Doc competed as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet and won three Piston Cups. His racing career ended after a crash, and he became the town’s doctor and judge.

The real Hudson Hornet was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company beginning in 1951. It became famous in stock-car racing, especially through drivers such as Herb Thomas. Pixar used that real motorsport heritage to make Doc’s past meaningful rather than treating him as simply an old car.

The model is sometimes misidentified as a generic Hudson or as a later Hornet. The film specifically identifies Doc as a 1951 Hudson Hornet. Paul Newman voiced Doc in Cars and Cars 3; Doc’s archive voice is heard in Cars 3 after Newman’s death in 2008.