Doc Hudson is the former Piston Cup champion and judge of Radiator Springs in Pixar’s Cars. He initially appears to be the town’s medical doctor, but the film later reveals that he once raced as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.
Doc won three Piston Cups before a crash ended his competitive career. He felt discarded when the racing world moved on to newer stars, so he settled in Radiator Springs and kept his past private. His experience gives him a sharp understanding of racing, which he eventually uses to train Lightning McQueen.
Paul Newman voices Doc Hudson in Cars, making the character one of Newman’s notable late voice performances. The role is based on the real Hudson Hornet, a car associated with stock-car racing success in the early 1950s. Sheriff maintains local law enforcement, Fillmore runs the organic-fuel van, and Ramone operates the town’s paint shop.