Doc Hudson (also known as The Fabulous Hudson Hornet, Hud, or simply Doc) is an anthropomorphic 1951 Hudson Hornet who appears in the 2006 Pixar film Cars. In the film, Doc is the medical doctor and local judge for Radiator Springs. After meeting Lightning McQueen, Doc reveals that he is actually a former Piston Cup racer known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and returns to the Piston Cup to act as Lightning's crew chief in his races. It is implied that Doc died before the events of Cars 2, and in Cars 3 he appears in flashback sequences.
Doc is voiced by Paul Newman in Cars, Cars 3 (the latter via archive audio recordings) and Cars: the Video Game, and Corey Burton in all other media. Six-time Turismo Carretera champion Juan María Traverso voiced the character in the Rioplatense Spanish version of the first film.
Doc Hudson is based on the real-life Fabulous Hudson Hornet of NASCAR. He generally maintains the same image in all three films with navy-blue paint and light modifications for racing. Doc's racing number is 51, a reference to his model year.
Character
Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman in his last non-documentary film role and in his only animated film role) was Radiator Springs' local physician. His license plate read 51HHMD, which was a reference to his year and track number (51), model (Hudson Hornet) and profession (medical doctor). A racer turned mechanic, Doc Hudson had Newman's blue eyes.
Doc's stickers read "Twin H Power", which was an optional dealer-installed dual carburetor intake manifold, with twin 1-barrel carburetors and air filters. It was a dealer-installed option in 1951 and then a factory option for 1952 model year Hornets.
Background
Many years before the events of Cars, Doc Hudson was known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. He won three consecutive Piston Cups (1951/1952/1953) and still held the record for most wins in a single season (27, also the number of NASCAR Grand National races won by Hudson Hornets in 1952.) His career unexpectedly came to an end when he suffered a rollover crash during the final lap of the 1954 Fireball Beach 350, a story which closely parallels the fate of Herb Thomas, NASCAR's 1951 and 1953 champion. Upon his return, Doc discovered that racing had moved on without him, as he had been replaced by a new car. He kept a newspaper article on the career-ending crash as a reminder to never return to racing.
Jaded by the racing scene, Doc left that world, apparently taking out time to study law and medicine. Hudson then disappeared into obscurity, leaving many wondering where he went. He removed his racing modifications and took on the life of a judge and physician in the town of Radiator Springs on U.S. Route 66. He ran a medical office as a "doctor of internal combustion". As times changed and the town got bypassed by Interstate 40, Doc stayed on, even when the population dwindled to a meager dozen residents. Nobody in the town had any idea of his past as a racer, knowing him merely as an ordinary Hudson Hornet.
Appearances
Cars (2006) Upon meeting Lightning McQueen in court, Doc saw far too much of the past that he had left behind. He quickly tried to dismiss the case and send Lightning away, but was convinced to sentence him to community service by having him repave the road as punishment. After Lightning failed to repave the road correctly, Doc challenged him to a race, in which Lightning lost by understeering and hitting cacti due to him not knowing how to corner on an unbanked turn. Doc's one token attempt to explain drifting to Lightning was met with misunderstanding and skepticism, leaving Doc disillusioned and bitter about the young, selfish racecar.
He was less than happy when Lightning discovered his secret and asked, "How could a car like you quit at the top of your game?" Doc bitterly revealed that he did not quit, but was forced into retirement after his crash by the rise of newer, faster cars. After Lightning finished repaving the road, he decided to stay in town for an extra day, but Doc was unable to bear having him around any longer and called the Piston Cup authorities, forcing Lightning to immediately leave for the tie-breaker race in California. After being scolded by Sally for making Lightning leave out of his dislike of him, Doc realizes that Lightning had become more important to the town than he thought. He believed the townsfolk would be happier without Lightning, but was quickly proven wrong.