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Few cars are as memorable and iconic as the Dukes of Hazzard Car the “General Lee” from the CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard.
I was just 7 years old when the TV series first aired in 1979.
I was hooked from the very first time saw
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Introducing the Dukes of Hazzard Car
The Dukes of Hazzard car was named the “
The show first aired on CBS in 1979 and ran 147 episodes spanning seven seasons until it ended in 1985.
The show, set in fictional Hazzard County Georgia, centered around two Southern cousins named Bo and Luke Duke.
As the legend goes, the Duke boys were in trouble with the law since the day they were born.
The main cast and supporting characters changed over time but the primary actors on the original show included:
- Bo Duke – John Schneider
- Luke Duke – Tom Wopat
- Uncle Jesse – Denver Pyle
- Daisy Duke – Catherine Bach
- “Cooter” Davenport – Ben Jones
- Boss Hogg – Sorrell Brooke
- Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane – James Best
Every episode featured a car chase with
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While Bo, Luke, Uncle Jessie, Daisy Duke along with Boss Hogg and Sherrif Rosco P. Coltrane were the main characters of the show the real star was the Dodge Charger.
In fact, the Charger received more fan mail than the entire cast combined during the shows entire seven seasons on air!
How many General Lee cars were destroyed?
It is estimated that between 256 and 321 Dodge Chargers were destroyed on the show over 174 episodes. That means on average two Chargers were destroyed for every episode produced!
Sadly, most were totaled due to the heavy stunt driving segments of the show that involved car chases, jumps and crashes.
When production finally ended in 1985, only 17 of the Chargers survived in various states of condition.
What color orange was the Dukes of Hazzard General Lee?
The exact paint code found on The General has been a source of controversy since 1979.
While the first version of the car was painted Chrysler color EV2 “Hemi Orange,” it didn’t last.
Much to the chagrin of Mopar purists, the rest of the 300 Chargers produced were painted code 70 Flame Red—a 1975 Chevrolet Corvette color.
Don’t let the paint color name fool you. While the paint is “Flame Red,” it was very much an orange color. See the paint chip sample above.
What color interior did the Dukes of Hazzard Charger have?
The interior color on the close-up shots showed a Tan colored interior known as “Saddle Tan.” The factory option code for the saddle tan interior was C6T.
However, several chargers had different interior colors when being converted for the show and the interior was died to match the correct light brown color.
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Where did the General Lee car get its name?
The General Lee car featured on Dukes of Hazzard was named after the American Civil War General Robert E, Lee and sports the Confederate flag on its roof.
The Confederate flag was the battle flag for General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.
The flag has become controversial in recent years due to its ties to slavery. Reruns of the show have been canceled due to public outcry.
Recreations are made today sans the Confederate flag and many are replacing it with the American flag.
What tune did the General Lee Dodge Charger horn play?
The horn plays the first 12 notes of the song “Dixie”, also known as “Dixie Land”. This was a popular song in the South and fit the show’s theme perfectly. The song was composed in the 19th century by Daniel Decatur Emmett.
The iconic Dixie horn tune used on the Duke boy’s car actually happened by accident.
The show’s producers were out scouting for Dodge Chargers to convert and happened to hear this memorable horn emanating from another car.
They flagged down the owner and paid $300 (which is $1,037.63 in today’s dollars) to purchase the horn and all of its components.
Thankfully, you don’t have to pay that amount today. You can buy a reproduction Dixie Horn kit for under $100.
How much is the Dukes of Hazzard Charger worth?
A General Lee owned by John Schneider (“Bo Duke”) sold for $115,000 at the Las Vegas 2017 Mecum Car Auction and included cast signatures on the passenger visor.
This same car originally bid up to $10 Million on eBay in 2007. Unfortunately for Schneider, the bidder failed to pay so it never sold at that price.
The very first General Lee (referred to as “LEE 1”) recently sold to professional golfer Bubba Watson at a Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction for $110,000 in 2012. So, it appears that the market value is around $110,000-$115,000 for these cars.
If you’re looking to build your own General, it will cost you a pretty penny. According to the Hagerty Insider APP (at the time of this writing), the average value for a 1969 Dodge Charger with a 383 motor is $37,400.
Plus, you’ll still have to do all of the heavy lifting and expensive modifications to convert it into a replica.
If not already included on the car you purchase, you will have to factor in several additional expenses to complete the recreation including a custom paint job, decals, turbine wheels, steel roll cage, steel front push bar, and “Dixie” horn assembly.
How high did the General Lee Dukes of Hazzard car jump?
On November 11, 1978, a stuntman on the Georgia based set launched the 16 feet high and went 82 feet long over a police car off of a dirt ramp.
This iconic scene and the history-making jump was immortalized in the opening credits of every episode.
In an effort to keep the car level during the jump, multiple bags of cement-filled the trunk to help counterbalance the front end of the car and prevent it from flipping.
Where can I buy a 1969 Dodge Charger General Lee?
Because so many Chargers were demolished on the show, very few original General Lee Chargers exist today.
Fortunately, there are many recreations available these days due to the popularity of the show and subsequent movies.
You can often find one at classic car auctions like Mecum or Barrett-Jackson, at online sources like eBay Autos, Hemmings, and Craiglist or in printed publications like AutoTrader.
What kind of muscle car was the Duke Boys General Lee?
In fact, things got so bad that AMC Ambassadors were used and filmed from creative angles to hide the fact it wasn’t a Charger.
What motor did the Dukes of Hazzard car have?
The motor varied and included 318, 383, and 440 cubic inch versions. Fortunately, none of the cars were 426 Hemi cars. The 383
1969 Dodge Charger Specs
- 1969 Dodge Charger
- Engine: 383 Magnum V8
- Horsepower (Base): 330-hp
- Carb: 4v Carburetor
- Trans: 3-Speed Torqueflite transmission
- Hideaway Headlights
- Interior Color: (C6T) Saddle Tan Interior
- Bucket front seats
- Center Console
General Lee Customizations
- Exterior Color: (GM) Flame Red code 70
- Steel front bumper extension
- Steel roll bar (interior) with 1 ¾-inch OD tubing
- Rims: American Racing 10-spoke Vector Turbine style wheels
- Decals:
- 1. Confederate Flag decals (1x on the roof)
- 2. The General Lee decals (2x on the roof)
- 3. “01” Octagonal number decals (2x for both doors)
- Horn: Played first 12 notes from the song “Dixie”
- CB Radio: Cobra 78X
- Teardrop Antenna: Radio Shack 21-908A
There you have all the facts and figures on the Dukes of Hazzard Car known as the General Lee. What did you learn? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!
How fast was this this thing? How much horsepower? I want the deets…