The classic market sometimes seems awash with 1969 Dodge Chargers that owners have transformed into a General Lee tribute from the iconic TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard. Well-executed builds often achieve impressive prices, but those buying them almost certainly harbor the desire to own the genuine article. That chance has now presented itself with this 1969 Charger R/T 440. It presents beautifully following a restoration that recaptured its lost youth. Interest has been high as potential buyers break out their wallets, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Matthew F for spotting a classic that is part of television folklore.
It is probably worth getting something out of the way immediately. Of the estimated three hundred cars utilized by the producers during the filming of The Dukes of Hazzard, only seventeen are confirmed to still exist. This Charger isn’t one of them, but it is no less relevant. Warner Brothers commissioned a company called General Lee Enterprises (GLE) to build five cars for official show duty. Show patrons would pay good money for the privilege of being photographed with those cars, and you can be sure that the studio recouped the cost of the project many times over. Of the five GLE Chargers, four are confirmed to exist, with the fate of the fifth unknown. After their show duties ended, two cars went into storage in a Kentucky barn. They emerged from hiding in 2003, and that is when our feature car’s history took a turn for the worse. A wealthy business owner purchased the vehicle, deciding to revive the car to promote his successful speed shop. Rather than displaying the R/T, he decided to take it back to its Hazzard County roots by performing a jump over six cars. The Charger didn’t suffer terminal damage, but it is fair to say it didn’t enjoy the experience. The General Lee changed hands, with the new owner recognizing the significance of this classic. He performed a meticulous restoration to its display specifications, and it is hard to fault its presentation. The Fender Tag confirms it left the factory wearing Code F6 Bright Green, but GLE applied the signature Orange that fans know and love. The car required plenty of TLC when the current owner took delivery. He had the Charger completely dismantled, and any damaged components were replaced. The body was returned to a rust-free state, and once again cloaked with the distinctive Orange. It is hard to fault its presentation, with the underside as spotless as the exterior. The correct signage and decals grace the car’s outside, and it sits on the appropriate wheels. The trim was restored or replaced, and the Black nudge bar is the perfect finishing touch to a car that appears to need nothing.
It is known that many of the Chargers that saw service during the shooting of The Dukes of Hazzard weren’t R/Ts, and only a few had engines bigger than the 318ci V8. GLE didn’t mess about when producing the five show cars. This one is a genuine R/T, featuring its numbers-matching drivetrain. The winning bidder can revel in the 375hp and 482 ft/lbs of torque generated by its 440ci V8. The power feeds to a Dana rear end via a four-speed manual transmission, with the car also featuring power-assisted steering and brakes. The 440 received a rebuild during the restoration, and this R/T is a turnkey proposition that is in excellent mechanical health. The new owner will receive all of the relevant documentation that proves beyond doubt that it is the real deal.
One area of this Charger that is different from those used on the TV show reveals itself when we open the doors. In fact, it is being able to open the doors that is the difference. Bo and Luke Duke entered and exited the General Lee by performing a window slide, suggesting the doors were welded closed. Warner Brothers and GLE couldn’t expect the paying public to do the same, so they left that aspect of the cars untouched. The interior is spotlessly clean, with no evidence of wear or damage to its Black trim and upholstery. The Charger features a console, a Moroso tach, a CB radio, and a sports wheel. Pressing the horn button unleashes air horns that play the correct “Dixie” tune that was part of the show’s signature. As with every other aspect of this classic, the interior needs nothing.
This 1969 Charger R/T 440 might not be one of the cars that graced the small screen, but its history and documentation make it no less worthy of being considered the genuine item. The seller listed it here at Seven 82 Motors in an online auction. Its condition and numbers-matching status should typically see bidding nudge beyond $80,000 in the current market, but this General Lee rewrites the rules. Bidding sits at $230,000, and there is still time for the price to climb higher. What would you be willing to pay for this classic? It will be fascinating to monitor the auction to see if anyone correctly nails the final price.
A cool car. I get the ‘show car’ thing. A lot of NASCAR teams would build a show car to park at a race track or a bar downtown. I was in Phoenix in November of 1992 and went to the HOOTERS downtown. Walking up to the front door and there sits Alan Kulwicki’s #7 HOOTERS race car on display. Talking to the dude in charge, it was just a show car that Alan built just to show. He started it up and it sounded like a real race car. I drooled all over that car. This General Lee should bring $400,000. Mark Worman of Graveyard Cars could afford that easy!
One of Jeff Burton’s late 1990s racers appeared at the Citgo gas station in my town. Roush just used one just for show purposes like this. Burton was sponsored by Citgo at the time.
Probably a handful here actually remember the series, it was incredibly popular, mostly to see Daisy Duke( Catherine Bach in hot pants in her CJ5 named “Dixie”). It should be noted, ’68 and ’69 Chargers were used, and averaged 3 totals per episode. The jumps killed everyone. There were several outfits WB used to create the cars, even had pilots in Piper Cubs scouring the countryside for Chargers. The early episodes were filmed in Georgia, and the cars made in Cal. Some lucky dude ran a car hauler full of Gen. Lee Chargers to the filming location back and forth. I should have been so lucky. I was just a schmoe freight hauler.
Most here, after seeing the “hat” post, are pretty much in the same gear, I highly doubt anyone here will be buying $500,000 hats or 1/4 mil Gen. Lees either. Clearly posted for shock value, and you know what? It’s kind of working, $100 grand just roll’s out of the pockets, along with those $3.59 bottles of Coke. Weren’t they just like $1.29?
Hang on folks, going to be one heck of a toboggan ride( no steering, no brakes) I may or may not see, just no interest. My nephew and his family came to visit. There was a beautifully restored Bugeye Sprite parked, I was the only one to look at it. Kids are 15 and 13, they walked right by without a glance. THAT’S who is coming up, folks.
Come on Howard, Dixie was a CJ-7
I don’t know if it had a name, but Daisy’s original car, which they drove off a cliff while dramatically bailing out was a 1971 yellow Satellite or Roadrunner. I much preferred that to the Jeep.
You’re right, to be honest I never really looked at the Jeep,,, :)
Cool car yes I was one of those guys who watch the show every week. How could you not being 15 and on the cusp of getting ur license lol. Tuned in for the car and yes Daisy duke too. A shame so many chargers got trashed but back then cars like that were everywhere Going for 1200 to 3500 depending on what they were. Good times and clean fun. Car will go for way more than I would pay for sure.
But someone will drop a boat load of money to own. And yes I miss when things were less expensive. Authors title is a little misleading
In my opinion was expecting it to be an actual car from the show. Just my opinion.
Good luck to buyer and seller.
Loved the show as a small boy and even today, if I could find it somewhere. It is a shame what they did to the show in reruns over this car. I would like to have one of these, but I don’t think that will happen. Perhaps I could get a pickup like Uncle Jesse had.
Well selling this should save uncle Jesse’s farm .
I saw Ms. Bach at a Carl Casper auto show once in Louuavulll (just educating the local enunciation) (Louisville) KY. It was the 80s and she had the Daisy Dukes on too. The irony was all the dads with their young kids in-line to get signatures 😜
Sure it was for the kids .. thanks dad 😉
This is a fine looking vehicles that preserves the genre of the show.
Good luck with sale of a sweet looking Charger.
A friend of mine bought one from WB in April 1991. It was a 68 made to look like a 69. He never mentioned what he paid.
I met the 2nd Bo Duke actor at the Charger Nationals in Boerne, TX. He said he had bought his son a Charger identical to my R4 1969 white hat special. I also got to “interrogate” his jump team. The number of Chargers destroyed in the name of “Dukes” is sickening.
The first six months of this show was done in one county over from where I was living, and most of the stunts were done on public roads. I can show you where most of the stunts took place and I can show you Cooter’s junk yard. It’s now cleaned out and closed up. About twenty years ago the owner let me and my eight year old grandson walk all through the yard as I “educated” him on old cars. It was a good experience for us both. I can also take you to the former Boars Nest bar but it’s a church now. We won’t see Daisey or Bo, or Luke, but seeing the exact location where car jumps took place makes you know how faked the jumps were, since there’s no reason for a car to jump there. Oh Well, it was all good clean fun..
I’ve got a photo of a car hauler with 6 General, Lee’s loaded on. It’s not my photo but I was a car hauler for the studios at one time and saved the photo. Where can I post it?
2VT: Email it to me. As a member, I can post it for you.
pra4snw(at)gmail.com
OK Correction: 3 General Lee’s and 3 Sheriffs cars.
Here is 2VT’s hauler pic, very cool!
As I understand it the later General Lee jump cars were Crown Victoria chassis with Charger sheet metal. Cheeper than waisting a real Charger.
Clearly a later pic when they must have gone with an O/O, because early photos show 6 Gen. Lees and a Plymouth cop car being pulled by what looks like a Ford F850 Super Duty day cab with 3 on the truck and 4 on a trailer.. I’m sure the “backhaul” were the wrecked ones.
I believe these were used in a modern Dodge commercial recently. I remember the cop cars were identical. The Duke boys then bought a custom Viper at a Dodge dealership.
Good Day To All
Flint
Flint: I believe you are correct. It is an Auto Trader ad and the newer Dodge cop cars match what is on that hauler.
It is a funny commercial from 10 years ago. Probably one of them thar 5 million dollar Super Bowl commercials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZwfXUURS3g
Not to mention populace and happened…🤣🤣🤣
It had to be in the 80’s driving on I – 95 and there was a replica General Lee parked for sale,my boys wanted me to stop and buy it.
This is an Australian auction, so a $230,000 bid is equal to $153,200. U.S., if my math is correct.
Great photoshop job in the lead pic.
Great car, lousy show.
Dumber than a box of rocks for sure, but the cars and country girls made up for it.
I was not aware that Chrysler had distributors with externally adjustable points. The blue cap shown has the GM style window. I worked in a service station in the late 60’s-early 70’s and I don’t remember any other manufacturers other than GM V8’s with the window. American Motors, yes, but they used GM supplied parts.
It has an MSD distributor. Through at least the late-2000’s their most common billet distributor irregardless of the engine it was designed to fit used a distributor cap that was comparable with the GM window cap, the earliest MSD caps, which were blue, even had a casting with a non functional window.
When I worked at a parts store it was pretty common for customers to buy a OE replacement window cap rather than spend extra for an MSD cap.
Steve R
I’d take that $250,000 bid and run with it !!!!
If I never see another one of these… That would be fine with me.
I don’t think the Gen Lee ever had RWL tires – on the TV program.
Tho did any sport a ’68 front end or 14 inch wheels?
Never even thought about the wrecked cars during the show. Only had eyes for Daisy Duke. Hate to say it, but I think I have aged a bit better than she has. Then again I don’t have a pair of cutoffs named after me.
But Kitt, or Adam 12, or CHIPS? Come on, they all turned your brain into mush.
I wish those days would return, it was a lot simpler time.
Those were all very popular shows that were watched by a lot of the population in this country, so lots of people got their brains turned to mush. Now we are seeing the results of having mush-brained people (of no particular party) running the country. It’s all beginning to make sense to me now.
So, you equate the level of intelligence of the people running this country with exposure to those old tv shows? Now what do you suppose is going to happen with all the people who grew up watching Jerry Springer?
Just for the record, the 80’s were the best time of my life!
They certainly wouldn’t have been if back then there was internet & even worse, smart phones! As for cruising/hanging out on main st, everyone INSTEAD would have stayed INside glued to their phones – even the few walking or standing outside would all be looking down at them all the time, even crossing the street! Thank you, Steve J.
Tom Wopat,who I believe played Luke Duke,
is now on a show on the “Cowboy way” channel.
He definetely doesn’t look the same.
A Barn Finds reader (RG?) sent me these pictures to post, along with the following:
“I saw these photos online and wondered if this is the car that tried an unsuccessful jump? If so, the damage seems to be insurmountable. Would this have been rebuilt?
If it is the car, I wonder if this (prior damage) is disclosed to a potential bidder/buyer?”
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Pic 7
Pic 8
The first 5 pics look like the same event to me.
The last 3 look like a different car – it is more red, but it’s funny that they both have a bashed down nose.
That must be what happens when a Charger jumps a ramp.
Another thing I spotted was that the first car has a CB antenna on the driver’s rear and the second car does not.