1969 Dodge Charger "General Lee"

 

Introduced in 1966, the Dodge Charger had been redesigned for 1968 and therefore saw only minor changes for 1969. Engine choices ranged from the 145-horsepower 225 “Slant Six” to a variety of V8 options, including the 230-horsepower 318, 290-horsepower 2-barrel and 330-horsepower 4-barrel 383s, the 375-horsepower 440 “Magnum” and the 425-horsepower 426 “Hemi.” The 1969 Charger’s place in popular culture was cemented by its role as the orange “General Lee” race car, driven by John Schneider and Tom Wopat as Georgia cousins Bo and Luke Duke on the television series “The Dukes of Hazzard” from 1979 to 1985. A highlight of the show was the numerous jumps and other stunts performed by the “General Lee,” with the number of Chargers destroyed by the production reaching into the hundreds of cars, to the point that some 1968 Chargers were disguised as 1969 models for use on the show, and in later seasons the show resorted to reusing old footage and even using radio-controlled model cars for new jump scenes. This example, displayed by the Volo Auto Museum at the 2002 Chicago Auto Show, was apparently a promotional car owned by General Lee Enterprises. Though not used on screen, it was used in tours to promote the show, and when it was retired it was autographed by many of the cast members. Today, the Volo Auto Museum has a different “General Lee” in its collection that was one of the original cars built for the show.