Yee-Haw! It’s a new week and that means a new Iconic movie car! This week I bring the 1969 Dodge Charger from The Dukes of Hazard to the table. The show aired on American television from 1979 to 1985 on CBS. I’m sure if you mention the General Lee to anyone of that time they will know exactly what show you are talking about. Even now most people know exactly what the General Lee is and what show it is from.

The Dukes of Hazard follows “The Duke Boys” on their weekly adventures. They live In a rural part of a fictional town called Hazard County and constantly ruin the dark plans of crooked county commissioner Boss Hogg. Luke and Bo duke were previously sentenced to probation for illegally transporting Uncle Jesse’s moonshine; their Uncle Jesse made a plea deal with the U.S. government to stop brewing moonshine in exchange. Although on probation this doesn’t stop the Duke boys from getting into mischief and other fun things! The one staple of the show is their 1969 Dodge Charger knows as the General Lee. The car was built was a race car so the doors are welded shut and the windows are always open. There was an estimated 309 chargers used during the filming of the show and 17 are still known to exist. The General Lee also had the iconic Dixie horns installed after a passerby had sounded the horn, the crew chased him down to find out where he had gotten he horn and then installed it into the General Lee.

In 1968 the charger was redone from its earlier brothers, it is known as the B-body lineup. This was a redesign to change what the whole body looked like and the interior didn’t share anything with its earlier models. The 1969 model had two different 383 motors available, a 2-barrel and 4-barell. The 2-barrel was rated at 290hp and the 4 was rated at 330hp this was identified as the “pie tin” on the air cleaner as “383 / FOUR BARREL”. The 330hp option was unique to the Charger model in 1969. This engine was available with an un-silenced air cleaner option. The 1969 model also had different grilles and new longitudinal taillights, both designed by Harvey J. Winn. A new trim line was introduced this year, known as the Special Edition (SE). This could be chosen alone or with the R/T option thus making it the R/T-SE. The SE added leather inserts for the front seats only, chrome rocker moldings, a wood grain steering wheel, and wood grain inserts on the instrument panel.  Total production was 89,199 units.

The 1969 Charger and General Lee were beautiful cars! I would love to have a 1969 Charger right now that I can just jump in and have a great time with! Or even a General Lee all my own, with welded doors, a Dixie horn, and me trying to jump in through the window, which would be a hilarious feat all by itself. I know whenever I see one of these on the road I always have to snap my head around to give it a good luck. Even when I attend a car show I love trying to find one to just gawk at. I mean, how many of you would love to have a 1969 charger all your own? One that you can cruise down the highway with the windows down enjoying the sound of the motor as you cruise! I give the 1969 two thumbs up for the years of service it gave the Duke boys and a moment of silence for the 309 or so cars that were destroyed during filming…………….Thank you for your years of service and entertainment 1969 Charger and General Lee!