Doc Hudson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hudson "Doc" Hornet, M.D. | |
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| Model | 1951 Hudson Hornet |
| Gender | Male |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Color | Navy Blue |
| Voice Actor | Paul Newman |
Doctor Hudson Hornet (better known as "Doc Hudson" or simply "Doc") is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic retired racecar and one of the main cast of the animated Disney/Pixar film Cars. He is voiced by actor Paul Newman.
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[edit] Story
[edit] Cars Movie
Doc Hudson, known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet (#51) in his time, was once one of the most famous racecars to have ever lived, holding three Piston Cup titles and holding as a claim to his success a good many tricks attributed to a low center of gravity for better handling. He was well known, holding the record for most wins in a single season -- a record that remain unbroken to this day -- standing at 27.
All that changed for the famous Hornet when a terrible crash on the track at the qualifying race in 1954 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. Keeping a picture of the wreck that ended his career from an old newspaper, he uses it as a reminder to never return to the life that nearly destroyed him.
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 a job as a simple county doctor in the tiny town of Radiator Springs, the "shining jewel" of the mother road - Route 66.
As times changed and the town got bypassed by Interstate 40, Doc—as he came to be known—stayed on, even to today, where the town is home to a meager dozen or so residents. He is a respected and well-loved resident, now its judge as well as its primary physician.
After meeting the young hot shot Lightning McQueen, Doc found himself seeing far too much of himself in the #95 rookie. After McQueen left town, he took back his old #51 colors to become the young racer's pit crew captain. His reason for returning? Mater hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye. (Mater: "Goodbye! Okay, I'm good.")
By the end of the film, Doc has opted to keep his racing colors and becomes a trainer as well as crew chief to the young McQueen after the rookie's show of respect towards Strip "The King" Weathers (voiced by Richard Petty), after the retiring racecar was made to crash by the film's antagonist Chick Hicks (who gets jeered by the crowd as a result). Lightning pushed the older racer over the finish line to take third place himself. The ending sees Doc racing with Lightning out at Willy's Butte and showing off a few tricks he's had yet to teach the young racer.
[edit] Comparison to original Fabulous Hudson Hornet
- Doc's build was a dedication to Marshall Teague and Herb Thomas' Fabulous Hudson Hornet team. Teague won the "AAA stockcar" (not NASCAR) championships in the 1952 and 1954. [1] Teague's Hudson won 27 NASCAR races in the 1952 season, the same results as Doc. [2]
- The real Fabulous Hudson Hornet team used #6 and #92, not #51.
- Hudson won the 1951, 1952, and 1953 NASCAR championships. Thomas ran the second half of his 1951 championship season in the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and raced the entire 1953 season in the Hornet. Tim Flock won the 1952 championship in a Hudson.
- NASCAR's championship trophy became known as the Winston Cup first in 1971, when R.J. Reynolds established a championship prize fund and bought the series naming rights to promote its Winston brand of cigarettes. Prior to this, the series was called the Grand National Division.
- All three of Doc's 1950s Piston Cups read "Hudson Hornet." This is apparently his name as well as his make.
- Doc's license plate reads 51HHMD. Many mistakenly believe this to mean "1951 Hudson Hornet, MD", but it actually is a license plate that was carried on a real Fabulous Hudson Hornet during its racing career. [citation needed] Most race cars were street-legal and driven to and from the track, so it was not uncommon for them to race with license plates intact. However, the "MD" part of the plate may be what inspired the filmmakers to make the Hudson Hornet character a doctor.
[edit] Trivia
- The sign above Doc's clinic reads "Doctor of Internal Combustion"
- In the Mattel die cast Cars toy line two versions of Doc Hudson are available; a "#51 Fabulous Hudson Hornet" version and an offseason version. Neither has a license plate.
- Doc Hudson has blue eyes. This is a nod to racing enthusiast Paul Newman, whose trademark is his deep blue eyes.
[edit] References
| 2006 Disney-Pixar film Cars | |
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| Main Characters | Lightning McQueen | Mater | Sally | Doc Hudson The King | Chick Hicks | Ramone | Flo | Luigi | Guido | Mack | Red Sheriff | Fillmore | Sarge | The Delinquent Road Hazards |
| Production Studio | Disney | Pixar |
| Related Articles | Soundtrack | Official Video Game | Radiator Springs Radiator Springs Adventures | Cars Diecast Line |
