General Lee, the star of The Dukes of Hazzard

<p>General Lee, the star of <i>The Dukes of Hazzard</i></p>

The General Lee is not just a television series car. For many fans of the show — myself included — he is the lead character of The Dukes of Hazzard. More than just a means of transportation for cousins Bo and Luke Duke, the car became a cultural icon of strength, Southern rebellion, and the breathtaking car chases that defined television between 1979 and 1985.

Back in our day, we didn't know the term 'Crush', but we had two of them on the show: Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke) and our beloved General Lee.

General Lee, Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke), Tom Wopat (Luke Duke), and John Schneider (Bo Duke) in The Dukes of Hazzard.

Origins and inspiration

The General Lee's lineage traces back to real life. Series creator Gy Waldron based the story on the experiences of moonshiner Jerry Rushing. Rushing's original car was a 1958 Chrysler 300D named "Traveller," named after General Robert E. Lee's favorite horse. When the series was conceived (derived from the 1975 film Moonrunners, directed by Waldron himself), the name was adapted to "General Lee."

Curiously, the Dodge Charger model was not the first choice. Waldron considered a Pontiac Firebird — which was featured in the film Smokey and the Bandit (1977, Hal Needham) — but stunt coordinator Al Wyatt Sr. insisted on the 1969 Charger for its durability and jumping performance, a lesson learned during the filming of Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974, John Hough).

1958 Chrysler 300D. The model used by real-life moonshiner Jerry Rushing.

Technical specifications and design

The "standard" General Lee is a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T (although 1968 models were widely used and modified to look like 1969s).

Paint: The iconic color is often cited as "Hemi Orange," but there are technical disagreements. Some claim the color was "Flame Red" from the 1975 Corvette, but according to TopSpeed, that color didn't even exist in the factory catalog. Another site, Motorious, went beyond internet hearsay and scanned the color of an original unit's trunk lid, reaching the final verdict: the color was "TNT Express," used by a shipping company for its delivery fleet.

Between the second and fourth seasons, brothers André and Renaud Veluzat were responsible for supplying the cars, and it was during this period that several technical inconsistencies and variations were seen, including the color. It wasn't uncommon for them to use whatever shade of orange they could find to paint the Dodges.

In the 2005 film, the chosen color was AMC's "Big Bad Orange."
The Identity: The number "01" on the doors (with an octagonal font), the Confederate flag on the roof, and the name "General Lee" written above the windows.
The Wheels: 10-spoke turbine wheels by American Racing Vector (14"x7"), fitted with B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A tires.
The "Dixie" Horn: Plays the first 12 notes of the Southern folk song. Interestingly, the horn wasn't planned; producers heard a car driving by with that sound, chased the driver down, and bought the accessory for $300 on the spot.
Welded Doors: Following NASCAR style, the doors were welded shut for safety. However, the real reason for its adoption in the series was accidental: during the first chase, a car's door handle was damaged in an impact with mailboxes. To avoid stopping the scene, actor Tom Wopat jumped through the window. The director loved the style and made it a trademark.

Promotional image. Copyright Warner Bros.

Stunt modifications

To survive (or try to survive) the demands of Hazzard, the car was not factory original:

Engines: Although the 440 Magnum was the character's "official" engine, production used whatever was available. Cars for two-wheel scenes (ski cars) used the 318 engine (lighter), while big jumps required the 440 for its torque. Most units were automatic (TorqueFlite 727), despite sound effects suggesting manual gear shifts.
Concrete Ballast: The biggest challenge was the jump. Since the engine was very heavy, the car tended to "nose-dive" in the air. To keep the flight level, mechanics placed 250kg to 500kg (approx. 550-1100 lbs) of sandbags or concrete ballast in the trunk.
Suspension and Brakes: Torsion bars adjusted to the maximum and handbrakes modified to allow the famous 180-degree maneuvers (Bootlegger’s Turn).

The Charger massacre

If there is one negative thing about this series — emotionally... at least for me — it's the fact that The Dukes of Hazzard holds a dark record: it is estimated that between 255 and 325 Dodge Charger units were destroyed during the six years of production. It breaks the heart of any car lover, especially for these "real" cars, not the pieces of junk on wheels we have today.

On average, two cars were destroyed per episode. Almost any large jump resulted in a total loss due to structural frame failure upon landing, requiring the post-production team to use editing tricks to hide the damage as much as possible, though in some episodes, the damage upon landing is noticeable.

The destruction was so massive that production caused a real shortage of 1968/69 Dodge Chargers in the US. Warner Bros. even used planes to locate Chargers in citizens' backyards and would leave notes offering immediate purchase.

In the final season, due to the cost and lack of cars, the production turned to remote-controlled miniatures for the jumps, which was widely criticized by the cast and fans for the lack of realism.

The "boys" waiting their turn for the sacrifice. Behind-the-scenes image - copyright Warner Bros.

Records and Trivia

The jump seen in the show's opening, performed by stuntman Craig Baxley, set a world record at the time: 16 feet high (4.8m) and 82 feet long (25m). The car used (LEE 1) was immediately totaled.

At the height of the series, the General Lee received about 35,000 fan letters per month, surpassing the popularity of any human actor in the cast.

Of the hundreds of cars used, only about 17 original screen-used specimens survived. The famous "LEE 1" was restored and sold at auction in 2012 to golfer Bubba Watson for $121,000.

Proof he was the lead actor: The car appears in every episode except one, "Mary Kaye's Baby."

Homage in Smallville: At the beginning of the episode "Exposed" in the fifth season of Smallville (2001-2011), former Dukes of Hazzard co-star Tom Wopat (Luke Duke) plays Kansas Senator Jack Jennings, an old friend of Superman's adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, played by John Schneider (Bo Duke). Jennings pulls into the Kent farm in his car, a blue 1968 Dodge Charger R/T.

Legacy and controversies

The General Lee has been a character that sparks heated discussions today due to the Confederate flag on the roof. In 2015, amid debates over racial justice in the US, Warner Bros. halted the manufacturing of toys and replicas of the car featuring the flag.

However, for fans of motoring and the series, the car transcends politics: it represents the golden age of American muscle cars and the spirit of indomitable adventure that made an orange Dodge Charger seem capable of flying over any trouble in Georgia.

John Schneider spoke out on the matter: "I disagree with those who say that the flag on the General Lee should always be considered a symbol of racism. Is the flag used as such in other applications? Yes, but certainly not in the Dukes."

And that's that... I was a regular viewer of the series. I can't say I watched every single episode, as my memory doesn't go that far. But from everything I remember of the show, there is no trace of any racist attack or anything similar. It's just the "cancel culture" crowd wanting to destroy our childhood.