The Fabulous-Hudson Hornet

**The Fabulous Hudson Hornet** (also known as **Doc Hudson**) is the deuteragonist of the 2006 Disney•Pixar animated film, *Cars*.

## Background

He was once one of the most famous race cars in history; he won three Piston Cups in a row and still holds the record for most wins in a single season. However, it all changed for Doc when he was involved in a terrible crash during the final lap of the 1954 Piston Cup championship race, which saw him put out for the season. Upon his return, he was received with a complete absence of fanfare and told that he was a has-been who had been passed up for the next rookie in line. He kept a newspaper article on the career-ending crash as a reminder to never to return to the career that nearly killed him.

“*When I finally got put together, I went back expecting a big welcome. Know what they said? "You're history." Moved onto the next rookie standing in line. There was a lot left in me. I never got a chance to show 'em.*”―Doc tells Lightning why he left racing.

Jaded by the racing scene, he left that world, apparently taking out time to study medicine. The famous #51 disappeared into obscurity, leaving many wondering where he had gone. He instead opted for a simple navy blue paint job and the life of a physician in the tiny town of Radiator Springs, the "shining Gemstone" of the Mother Road - Route 66. He runs Doc's Clinic as a "doctor of internal combustion". As times changed and the town got bypassed in favor of Interstate 40, Doc stayed on, even when the population had dwindled to a meager dozen or so residents. He is respected, well-loved, and serves not only as of the town's physician but as its judge as well. However, nobody in the town had any idea of his past as a racer; he was just an ordinary Hudson Hornet to them.

### Official Description

*"Doc is a car of few words but many talents. He not only serves as the town judge he's also Radiator Springs' resident doctor. Doc is respected and admired by the townsfolk for the way he looks out for their health and tends to their aches and pains. No one knows too much about Doc before he came to town. He keeps his private life private, but if you've got a bad spark plug or a rattle in your engine, his door is always open."*

### Physical Appearance

Doc Hudson is based off of the real 1951 Hudson Hornet, which is where his name, number and paint scheme came from.

During his Piston Cup racing days, Doc was painted in a dark shade of blue, with a chrome bumper and grille. On his doors were the number 51 painted in yellow, as well as the words Fabulous Hudson Hornet painted in both white and yellow. He also had the words Twin-H-Power on both sides of his hood, and the Piston Cup logo beneath them. While Doc had red racing wheels during his racing career, official artwork seems to suggest that he had chrome rims at one point or another.

After arriving in Radiator Springs to set up his own medical clinic, Doc attempted to hide his past by removing most of his decals, leaving only his dark blue coat of paint and the his chrome grille, bumper, and lining.

### Personality

Doc is portrayed as a grumpy old man who wants to leave his racing career behind after the painful rejection of the racing world, and stay out of the public line. Doc enjoys peace and quiet, and loves the town of Radiator Springs and its citizens. However, despite his fondness for his friends, he never told them of his past of being a race car as he wanted to forget and distance himself from anything that reminded him of his past. Even though Doc never told his friends about his past, he did felt shame and regret for lying to them about who he used to be.

When Lightning McQueen arrives in Radiator Springs and accidentally rips up the main road, Doc's initial reaction is highly negative, as the rookie racecar was a reminder of Doc's past and the racing world he left behind. Hesitant to kick him out of town, he decides to sentence McQueen to community service by fixing the road, causing their relationship to be strained at first. This is when Doc revealed his tragic past to McQueen, explaining why he wanted to have him leave town at first, as well as that the trophies he won are just nothing but "empty cups" during the second half of the film. However, at one point, Doc did try be friendly with McQueen, giving him well-meaning advice on how to turn on dirt, to which McQueen ignored. When McQueen decided to stay in Radiator Springs after fixing the road, Doc took it upon himself to get rid of McQueen by informing the press on his whereabouts, believing it to be best for everyone when it was really only to satisfy himself after Sally calls him out. However, upon seeing how sad his friends were to see McQueen leave, Doc realized how important and well-loved McQueen became to all of them. Doc then immediately made amends with his decisions by informing his friends of his former racing career and became Lightning's crew chief to support him in his race, even realizing that the race could be worse due to Chick Hicks. Doc was later impressed when he found out that McQueen conceded the Piston Cup to Chick Hicks so he can help The King finish his last race, having realized the lesson he taught McQueen about how people quit on him following his crash that forced him into retirement.

After becoming McQueen's mentor, Doc showed who he truly was on the inside: a caring, supportive grandfather-like figure as he finally came to terms with his past and be at peace with the former sport he loves doing.

### Powers and abilities

Doc was considered the best dirt track racer of all time. Despite his age, Doc can still race with great skill, with incredible statistics, even being able to compete with other Piston Cup race cars in *Cars: The Video Game*. Drifting is one of Doc's most well-known abilities, being able to easily take turns on dirt tracks.

Doc also had medical experience that was handy even before he got his doctorate in internal combustion, and it was that knowledge that inspired him to go to medical school. Additionally, Doc serves as the judge for Radiator Springs, having the knowledge to serve in a courtroom.

## History

### Background

#### Racing days

In the early days of the Piston Cup Racing Series, Doc, then known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, was a very popular dirt track racer. He was considered one of the best racers of the time, receiving the title, *The Champion of All Time*. On the track, Doc befriended many of his competitors, such as Mario Andretti, Junior Moon, River Scott, and Louise Nash. In addition to being a talented race car, Doc was also good at making repairs to other cars, and once helped his friend Gus O'Line when he was having trouble with his semi-axis. Doc was also great friends with a mechanic named Smokey, who acted as a teacher to Doc. His friends called him "Hud" for short.

The Fabulous Hudson Hornet was popular for his unique strategies and abilities. He demonstrated mastery of powersliding, which helped him to navigate dirt turns very smoothly. Once, when a rival forced Doc up against a wall, he used a flip trick to pull ahead of the rival, allowing Doc to win the race.

Doc won the Piston Cup trophy in 1951, 1952, and 1953, and continues to hold the record for most wins in a single season. However, his racing career took a sharp turn when Doc was involved in a terrible crash during the final lap of the 1954 Fireball Beach 500 championship race at Fireball Beach, which prevented him from competing for the foreseeable future. Once he recovered after a long period of time Doc returned to the circuit, only to be bluntly told that he was out of date and his racing career was over, and that he had been replaced by a rookie race car.

#### Post-crash

Upset, Doc decided to search for a city to blend into; in his search, he met many travelers who recognized him; to counter this, Doc removed all of his decals and racing tires, to no success. Along the way, however, Doc gave medical advice to the cars he met, and eventually found himself cruising down Route 66, where he met a young British car named Philip, who had broken down on the side of the road. After Doc fixed his engine, he realized that he could take up a medical career; he attended medical school for a doctorate in internal combustion, and soon became the resident doctor in the nearby town of Radiator Springs.

### *Cars*

In *Cars*, when Lightning accidentally rips up the main road of Radiator Springs by dragging the statue of Stanley down the middle of it, he is taken to court, where Doc, wanting to get rid of Lightning ASAP, reluctantly bows to the will of the other town residents to sentence Lightning to community service, by making him re-pave the road with Bessie.

Bored and frustrated with the task, Lightning decides to rush it, and finishes the road within an hour. However, when word spreads to Doc, he discovers that the road is far from smooth, and is nothing but a mess of asphalt. After the residents confront Lightning, his cocky response inspires Doc to challenge him to a dirt track race. As the Radiator Springs townsfolk are unaware of Doc's past, they are surprised to see him up for a racing challenge.

Later that day at Willy's Butte, Doc and Lightning have their competition; a simple one-lap race around the Willy's Butte oval, a track with the first 2 turns heavily banked, but one sharp turn without any type of wall or barrier. As Luigi and Guido start the race, the audience stares in confusion as they see Doc standing still at the finish line while Lightning speeds away. Doc and Mater then slowly make their way around the track as Lightning fails the second turn and runs straight down a hill and into a cactus patch. After Doc mocks the rookie, Mater is told to fish McQueen out with his tow hook.

The next morning, the Radiator Springs residents wake up to find the road halfway done, looking better than ever before. Confused as to Lightning's whereabouts, Doc notices Bessie parked near the road leading to Willy's Butte, and follows it until he finds Lightning trying to practice on Willy's Butte under Sheriff's supervision, but again fails and ends up covered in dirt. Doc gives him advice by telling him to "turn right to go left", which McQueen simply passes off as nonsense from a "crazy grandpa car".

The following day, Lightning comes into Doc's clinic to complain about the road, and upon leaving, he angrily kicks a can at the side of the road, which ends up landing inside of Doc's garage, and a loud noise is heard. McQueen goes to investigate, and, to his surprise, discovers three Piston Cup trophies, and a newspaper that shows the legend Doc was while he raced. As he pokes around, Doc catches him, and when Lightning admiringly asks him questions, Doc angrily kicks him out.

Excited, Lightning races to Flo's V8 Café, and alerts the residents of the newly discovered information, but they do not believe him, as they are completely unaware of Doc's racing talents. When Lightning returns from a drive with Sally, the Tractors that he and Mater accidentally let out of the fence the previous night stampede through the town, and while everyone attempts to catch them, Lightning follows a stray Tractor to Willy's Butte, where he finds Doc practicing, and Lightning is shocked by his talents. When Lightning comes down and praises Doc, he grumpily races away, leaving Lightning in admiration.

Shortly after, the road is finished, and Lightning is allowed to leave the town. However, he receives some new modifications and enjoys a nice cruise night in the Radiator Springs streets, until it is interrupted by the Piston Cup press, who take Lightning away to the tie-breaker race in Los Angeles. After Lightning is taken away, Kori Turbowitz thanks Doc for calling them, who is then scolded by Sally.

At the race, Lightning has only Mack on his pit crew, and thinks about his friends from Radiator Springs while he is taking practice laps, until he finds out that his friends have come to the race to act as his crew, with Doc as the crew chief. During the race, Doc is noticed by the audience and announcers, and receives his long-overdue acknowledgement for his return. During the final lap of the race Doc gives Lightning a little racing advice, "This is it kiddo, you've got four turns left one at a time. Drive it in deep and hope it sticks. GO!!" Lightning takes that advice and when he his knocked into the infield by Chick Hicks, he uses the "Turn right to go left trick" that he saw Doc do out in Willie's Butte to stay in control, drift back on to the track and take the lead. Doc smiles because he knew Lightning had learned something from him. However his smile gets wiped away when he witnesses Strip Weathers (The King) got knocked off the track, sent airborne, and rolling across the infield grass due to a PIT manuver by Chick Hicks. He then felt shocked when Chick rammed The King and later confused when McQueen stopped before the finish line, allowing Chick Hicks to win the race and the 2005 Piston Cup season. He then smiles once again when he see Lightning help The King across the finish line because Lightning wanted The King to finish his last race.

Even though Chick technically won, Lightning is still seen as the winner in the eyes of the spectators due to helping The King, and decides to stay in Radiator Springs and set up his headquarters there. McQueen's actions even resulted in Chick having his spotlight being given away for his bad sportsmanship.

### After *Cars*

Doc became relevant in the media once again, this time as McQueen's legendary mentor. McQueen would generally talk about what it was like to learn under the master, or how he owed all his knowledge and experience to him.

Having not contacted Smokey for many years, Doc began to frequently send letters and newspaper clippings to him. When McQueen met Smokey several years after Hudson's death, Smokey showed him everything he received from Doc.

### *Mater and the Ghostlight*

In *Mater and the Ghostlight*, Doc is among the residents that are listening to Sheriff's story at Flo's V8 Café, which ends up scaring Mater into believing that there is a spooky creature named the Ghostlight that haunts the roads of Carburetor County. After the townsfolk trick Mater by placing a lamp on his tow hook, Mater discovers that he is not really being pursued by the Ghostlight, and when he laughs it off, Doc tells him about the Screamin' Banshee, a large construction vehicle. At the end of the short, Mater can be seen in front of the banshee, and he warns him about it, not realizing that he *is* the Screamin' Banshee.

### *Cars 2*

As Doc passed away after the events of *Cars: Race-O-Rama* and before *Cars 2*, he does not make a physical appearance in the film, but a newspaper with a picture of him on it can be seen inside of the Hudson Hornet Racing Museum, the building which used to be Doc's Clinic. Additionally, it is revealed that the Piston Cup trophy was renamed the Hudson Hornet Piston Cup in memory of him.

Doc is also mentioned by both Mater and Darrell Cartrip during the first race of the World Grand Prix. As Lightning skillfully navigates through the dirt portion of the track, Darrell praises him and tells the audience about Lightning's mentor, while Mater informs him to perform exactly like Doc taught him.

The circumstances of how Doc died are unknown. John Lasseter was at first adamant that Paul Newman would return to voice Doc Hudson, even though he had announced his retirement from acting. After Newman's death, Lasseter said that they would see how the story goes with Doc Hudson. Story supervisor Nathan Stanton said: "we felt, after really tooling around with the idea of him being in the film and how do we properly use him, it just felt right that we should have his character have passed away also [as Paul Newman]." John Lasseter said that he realized "Doc Hudson was Paul Newman. The character was written after listening to him talk about his passion for racing." and that "We pay homage to Doc Hudson, which is paying homage to Paul Newman."

### *Cars 3*

In *Cars 3*, his voice was provided by archived records of Paul Newman for a series of flashbacks. Doc first appears in a flashback before the first race at the start of the movie, when he is talking to McQueen about real racing. After the flashback ends, McQueen dedicated the race to him.

After Lightning McQueen was injured in a serious crash at Los Angeles International Speedway, he watched old recordings of Doc's accident, Hudson overtook all the racers, but lost control, rolling over several times.

At the Rust-eze Racing Center, Doc's photo and history appears on the one of walls with McQueen's memorabilia.

When Lightning meets Smokey, Louise, River Scott and Junior Moon, they tell him of stories of Doc in the old days. Doc didn't let the new rookies stop him from coming in first and beat them even if they were faster than him. They also told Lightning and Cruz about Doc's flip trick. Lightning thought Doc wasn't happy like he was after his crash, until Smokey took him to his garage and showed him all the letters and newspaper clippings Doc sent him since he began training Lightning. During this, McQueen has flashbacks of his old mentor, including where Doc was twirling a stick and some plates on his nose and told him to take notes on it, then when he and Doc were racing and Doc smiled and laughed at him when he fell in the cactus patch again. Smokey tells him that, while nothing was ever the same after his crash, Lightning is what made him so happy about racing again.

At the end, Lightning now acts as a racer and crew chief to Cruz. When Jackson Storm pushed her into the wall, she repeated Doc's flip and won. After the race Lightning decides to try something new and takes on a new paint job inspired by Doc, having an *old-school* look to him now and races Cruz like he and Doc used to do and gives Cruz the number 51 as he thought Doc would've want Cruz to have it.

In the credits, Doc's black and white photo with the other racers and his number plate appears.

## General information

### Physical description

Doc Hudson is based on the real 1951 Hudson Hornet, which is where his name, number and paint scheme came from.

During his Piston Cup racing days, Doc was painted in a dark shade of blue, with a chrome bumper and grille. On his doors were the number *51* painted in yellow, as well as the words *Fabulous Hudson Hornet* painted in both white and yellow. He also had the words *Twin-H-Power* on both sides of his hood, and the Piston Cup logo beneath them. While Doc had red racing wheels during his racing career, official artwork seems to suggest that he had chrome rims at one point or another.

After arriving in Radiator Springs to set up his own medical clinic, Doc attempted to hide his past by removing most of his decals, leaving only his dark blue coat of paint and his chrome grille, bumper, and lining.

Doc's license plate reads *51HHMD*, which references to his racing number, 51, his model, the Hudson Hornet, and profession, which is a medical doctor.

### Personality and traits

Doc is portrayed as a grumpy old man who wants to leave his racing career behind after the painful rejection of the racing world, and stay out of the public line. Doc enjoys peace and quiet, and often isolates himself from the other Radiator Springs residents, instead choosing to stay inside of his clinic and garage.

When Lightning arrives in Radiator Springs and accidentally rips up the main road, Doc's initial reaction is highly negative, and upon entering the courtroom to judge McQueen's trial, he mutters about how he hopes he rots in jail, and that the prison rots on top of him so he can be put in a new prison, and immediately after tries to make Lightning leave, without putting much thought into it. However, Sally and the other residents instead propose to make McQueen stay and repair the road as community service, which Doc dislikes the idea of, but subsequently introduces him to the road-paving tar machine that Lightning will be working with, nicknamed 'Bessie'.

Despite their arguments throughout the majority of *Cars*, at the end of the film, Doc and some more of McQueen's friends show up at the tie-breaker race to support him, and Doc takes on the role of Lightning's crew chief. Doc is impressed when Lightning gives up what would have been his rookie year victory to aid Strip Weathers upon his crash, and when the King questions why he's doing it, he replies that he was advised that *it's just an empty cup*, which Doc had given him earlier.

After the events of *Cars*, Doc continued to serve as Lightning's crew chief and mentor, until his death in between the events of *Cars: Race-O-Rama* and *Cars 2*.

### Powers and abilities

Doc was considered the best dirt track racer of all time. Despite his age, Doc can still race with great skill, with incredible statistics, even being able to compete with other Piston Cup race cars in *Cars: The Video Game*. Drifting is one of Doc's most well-known abilities, being able to easily take turns on dirt tracks.

Hudson also had medical experience that was handy even before he got his doctorate in internal combustion, and it was that knowledge that inspired him to go to medical school. Additionally, Doc serves as the judge for Radiator Springs.

### Relationships

#### Friends

Though he was not much of a social person, Doc was shown to be on mostly friendly terms with the residents of Radiator Springs, particularly with Lightning McQueen, though he seemed to hide it.

#### Enemies

Though a bit grumpy to others, the only enemy Doc has been shown to have is Chick Hicks - he seems to share a dislike of him with Lightning, due to his constant bragging and bad attitude towards McQueen and his team.

### Occupations

Doc's first career was as a professional race car in the early days of the Piston Cup Racing Series, until a wreck put him out for the season, with a rookie replacing him in the subsequent one.

As Doc attempted to forget his past, he learned that he was quite skilled in the medical field, and eventually became the local doctor of the small town Radiator Springs. Doc also served as the town judge.

### Aliases

Doc is sometimes referred to by McQueen as *Old Timer* due to his older age. Additionally, Doc was referred to as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet when he was a professional dirt track racer.