General Lee (car) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The General Lee |
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The General Lee on public display, 2006
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| Overview | |
| Type | Dodge Charger |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler (Dodge division) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Muscle car |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Platform | Dodge Charger (B-body) |
| Powertrain | |
| Transmission | 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic |
The General Lee is a famous orange 1969 Dodge Charger. It was the main car in the popular TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. The Duke boys, Bo and Luke, drove it in almost every episode. Later, their cousins Coy and Vance also drove it.
This car is famous for many things. It has a special horn that plays the song "Dixie". The General Lee is also known for its exciting police chases and amazing stunts. It often made long jumps through the air! A unique feature was its welded-shut doors. This meant the Duke boys always had to climb in and out through the windows. The car's name is a tribute to American Civil War general Robert E. Lee. It also has a Confederate flag painted on its roof.
The idea for the General Lee came from a real car. A person named Jerry Rushing used a car for bootlegging (illegally transporting goods). His car was named after General Lee's favorite horse, Traveller. This car inspired the one in Moonrunners, a movie that came before The Dukes of Hazzard.
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Building the General Lee Cars
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Many General Lee cars were used during the TV show. Some people say about 325 cars were used, while others claim around 255. Today, only about 17 of these cars still exist. The show often used more than one General Lee per episode.
When filming a car jump, the crew added heavy sandbags or concrete to the trunk. This helped stop the car from tipping forward when it landed. Later, mechanics would raise the front of the car. This prevented it from scraping the ramp and helped the driver land more smoothly. Stunt drivers liked the jumps but found the landings very rough. Cars used for big jumps were usually retired right away because of damage.
The show used 1968 and 1969 Dodge Chargers. These cars were changed to look like the General Lee. For example, their taillights and grilles were updated. At first, it was easy to find these cars. But as the show went on, it became harder and more expensive. So, the producers started reusing old jump footage. In the final season, they even used small radio-controlled models for some jumps.
The first few episodes were filmed in Georgia in late 1978. Warner Bros. built the first General Lees and sent them there. These first cars were labeled "LEE 1," "LEE 2," and "LEE 3" for filming.
- LEE 1* was a 1969 Charger with a strong roll cage inside. It had a powerful V8 engine and was used for many stunts. After a famous jump over a police car, it was used again for a tire test scene.
- LEE 2* was also a 1969 Charger with a roll cage. It was used in the very first scene of the show. In this scene, Bo and Luke were chasing a police car.
- LEE 3* was the main car used for close-up shots. It was a powerful 1969 Charger model. This car had a special roll bar that could be removed. This allowed cameras to be placed inside for filming. The first General Lees were painted a special red color.
Over time, the first General Lees got damaged. So, the crew had to build more cars. They even converted some 1968 Chargers to look like 1969 models. Early General Lees had crossed flags on the back, but this was later stopped for consistency. The cars usually had special "Vector" wheels and B.F. Goodrich tires.
One of the original cars, LEE 1, was sold in 2012 for $110,000. The buyer, golfer Bubba Watson, said he would repaint it and remove the flag.
Building Cars for the Movie
For The Dukes of Hazzard movie, about 24 Chargers from 1968 to 1970 were used. At the start of the movie, the General Lee looked old and faded. But midway through, it was repaired and repainted a bright orange. It got its famous wheels, the "01" on the doors, the flag on the roof, and the "Dixie" horn.
The movie cars could do amazing drifts and controlled landings. For jump scenes, some cars were driven by stunt drivers. Others had their engines removed and were launched by a special catapult. The movie cars used slightly different paint and interior colors than the TV show cars. They also had real roll cages and modern radios.
One special car, number 020, was used for the drifting scene. It was also the car that raced a black Shelby at the end of the movie. This car had a unique emergency brake for quick stunts. Another car, number 127, made the longest jump in the film. It was launched by a catapult and survived the jump.
Engine Power
The General Lees in the TV show used different types of engines. They had 318, 383, and 440-cubic-inch engines. None of the TV show cars had the super powerful 426 Hemi engine. However, in the 2005 movie, the General Lee's engine was replaced with a Chrysler 426 Hemi.
Most of the stunt cars had 383 or 440 engines. Stunt drivers often preferred the 440 engines for bigger jumps. Most General Lees had automatic transmissions, not manual ones.
Getting In and Out
In the TV series, the General Lee's doors were welded shut. This was explained by saying that racing cars have their doors welded for safety. So, the characters had to slide in and out through the windows. This often led to funny moments, especially when older characters tried to squeeze through.
This idea actually came from a mistake during filming. A door handle was damaged, and an actor climbed through the window instead. The director liked it so much that it became a permanent feature. This is why most General Lees only had a simple roll bar, not a full roll cage. It made it easier for the actors to get in and out. In the movie, the doors were welded shut because they couldn't be fixed fast enough after damage. The Duke boys also often slid over the hood to get into the car.
Sound and Tires
The General Lee's famous engine sound was often added later. The sounds came from special exhaust systems on the close-up cars. However, the sounds were actually taken from the movie Bullitt.
The tires used on the General Lee varied. But the most well-known were the B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A tires.
Images for kids
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General Lee model car by Playing Mantis' Johnny Lightning
