Many readers will have fond memories of the Dukes of Hazzard, a series that graced the small screen from 1979 to 1985. The star car was undoubtedly the General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T driven by Bo and Luke Duke. Slightly less famous was the succession of vehicles driven by bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane and his only slightly less inept Deputy Enos Strate. One such car was a 1977 Plymouth Fury, and the seller has transformed their example into a tribute to one of those vehicles. It is a clean and tidy vehicle designed to garner attention, although returning it to its original form would take minutes. It is listed here on eBay in San Antonio, Texas, and while the bidding sits at $4,750, that figure is below the reserve.
This Spinnaker White Fury isn’t perfect, but that could be part of its attraction in its current guise. Those who remember the TV series will probably recall that the cars driven by Enos and Rosco often didn’t stay pristine for long. This one has a few marks and scratches, but the lack of rust means performing a repaint should be straightforward. The steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps are in keeping with the Plymouth’s role, although the narrow whitewall tires aren’t. This classic sports the correct decals as seen on TV, but removing them to go undercover would take minutes since they are magnetized. Disappointingly, the seller doesn’t include the lightbar in the sale, but that isn’t the end of the world. A brief online search uncovered one for under $300, but more time could see the winning bidder score one for less. One change the new owner might elect to make if they plan to retain the vehicle as a tribute would be removing the rubbing strips from the front doors. There are many photos of the original cars floating around in cyberspace, but none featured those strips.
The seller acknowledges their error of not including any engine photos, but they will willingly supply pictures and a video to interested parties. Lifting the hood will reveal a 318ci V8 backed by a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. Power output would be a relatively modest 145hp, meaning the ¼-mile journey would take 19.8 seconds. Considering the disparity between the Fury and the Charger R/T used as the General Lee, it is no wonder the Duke boys usually outran the long arm of the law. The seller says this classic has a genuine 98,000 miles on the clock but doesn’t mention verifying evidence. It runs and drives well and is ready to hit the road with a would-be Rosco behind the wheel.
Considering this classic has spent its life in Texas, the interior looks surprisingly good. The condition suggests it has led a sheltered existence, with limited exposure to the harsh Texas sun. The front seat has some splits on the driver’s side, and there might be a crack in the pad. The remaining upholstered surfaces look respectable, while there are no dash issues. There is none of the baked plastics or upholstery often seen in classics of this vintage, meaning it remains serviceable and tidy in its current form. An aftermarket CB radio sits atop the transmission tunnel, but the winning bidder might need to search for other items if the plan is to complete the illusion created with the exterior. It isn’t loaded with factory options, but the factory air conditioning blows ice-cold.
Dukes of Hazzard fans will rightly point out that the production company didn’t restrict its vehicle choice to the 1977 Plymouth Fury as the Sheriff’s car during the show’s production run. At various times, the Dodge Monaco, Polara, Plymouth Satellite, and 1976 Fury also received a run. The bidding on this car has already passed what a buyer would typically expect to pay for a Fury of this vintage, but as the seller rightly points out, finding cars as clean as this is challenging as many succumbed to typical wear and tear. It is a shame the seller doesn’t include the lightbar, but that isn’t an insurmountable obstacle for those seeking a nostalgia trip. Would you replace the bar or return this Plymouth to its original form?
Well, “Dukes” was a very popular show, but the author missed the REAL reason young men tuned in, Daisy Duke( Catherine Bach) (( Catherine Bachman,,never knew that)) and was literally poured into those hot pants. I think just about every guy lived out a fantasy with that show, if we lived down south, that is. Northern women have a tendency to not look like her. I don’t think the southern cops were that dumb, something I’m sure it took years to overcome. While estimates vary on the amount of Chargers ruined, some say 300, others 255, I can’t find any numbers on the police cars, as mentioned, several were used, including a Matador, but the Fury was only used one season, I believe. It may be confused with the Dodge used for a while. It was a fun show.
Again, with old police cars, I believe some sort of “not in service” or other indication it’s not a real LEO, is needed. People see those overheads in their rear view mirror, the definition of paranoia, btw,( may David Crosby RIP) and aren’t going to notice what the car type is. I personally think, with the unbelievable job LEOs have today, I certainly wouldn’t want to impersonate one.
I’m 50, so I didn’t start out thinking much about Daisy cuz girls had cooties. But my Mom’s Avon lady drove a Charger, same color orange but with a black vinyl top, i thought she was the coolest. Her husband ran a body shop and was a big Mopar guy (plus Elvis fan). He did some neat paint jobs on some real nice cars.
With the light bar not included, once you remove the mag decals, you’ve got a generic white 1977 Plymouth Fury with almost 100 K miles on it- wow…
For what it is & if I was in need of a second care & it is a decent runner , no rust & ice cold air I would buy it tint the windows , put some Cooper cobra tires on it & hot rod it !
The car needs a 440ci or at least a H.O. 360ci to really even get close to the performance needed for a police vehicle. This car is a nice survivor of sorts and actually could even be modified for a little more power without spending a fortune. I see $4,500.00 . Put a little bit into it and maybe – $5,000.00 for a complete, nice , comfortable cruiser with a gas sipping 318ci. Any more money and you might as well get something better. Nice article!
Would you really trust Roscoe with a high-powered interceptor? A malaise 318 is still too much power for him, best to stick with a slant six at most…
I have a 75 only with a tan interior, same driveline. Mine has the bottle cap wheel covers, power windows and seats, trunk opener, vinyl top turn key go anywhere and the most anyone ever offered was 1000.00. The other thing is EVERYONE that wants it wants to do exactly what was done to the one here….UGH!
What every commenter is missing is the fact that, It is not a police car!
Vin would have “K” in the second character. This meant many things including H.D. Suspension, extra welding to underneath, H.D. Brakes with metallic linings, screw in ball joints, and a host of other items (special power steering) certified speedo, gauge cluster. Etc.
“Boy…when I git you home I’m gonna smack yo mama…cuz you’ns ain’t from my loins!”
Buford T Justice
Nice try, wrong show,,
The title is misleading It should read “Rosco’s Ride: 1977 Plymouth Fury Tribute”
If I were to drive around in a movie star car, my choice would be a Bluesmobile.
There is a beat up one that I occasionally see driving in our town – it’s lousy condition only adds to the realism.
I remember the “Dukes of Hazzard” from when I was a boy. While the people in the show were fun to watch, I was more interested in the cars that were on the show. Among my favourites were the cop cars driven by Rosco *P* Coltrane, the 1969 Dodge “General Lee” Charger, and Daisy Duke’s Jeep.
Get all the police markings off it use as a daily driver. It is, at most, a serviceable vehicle to use. It is not a classic or collector car. I drove several of these during me police career, were useless in a chase.
In my career we had the 440 police package. Not only could you loose the tiers stomping it at 60 but watch the gas gage movement down while idleling LOL!!!!!!
I’ve owned too many real, 440HP police cars to count…including several ’68-’72’s and I can promise you, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the NONE would break the tires loose at 60mph. The ’73-’78’s would barely break the tires loose from a dead stop, lol!!!
“Geek geek geek, I’m in hot pursuit”!
Current bid:
US $8,750.00
Reserve not met
Like P.T. Barnum said…