General Lee Charger: Remembering the Most Famous Muscle Car to Ever Star in a TV Show

A "role" in a successful TV show and/or movie has worked wonders for many popular cars, propelling them to legendary status.

This is especially true for some muscle cars, which were already famous for their street prowess and motorsport endeavors.

For the first-generation Mustang GT, that popularity-boosting role was in the 1968 action thriller Bullitt starring Steve "the King of Cool" McQeen, while for the second-gen Pontiac Trans Am, the breakthrough role came a decade later in Smokey and the Bandit, an action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds.

Nevertheless, the most famous muscle car ever featured in a movie and/or TV show is unquestionably the orange second-generation Dodge Charger from the Dukes of Hazzard.

Inspired by a real bootlegger's car

Originally aired by CBS from 1979 to 1985 over 174 episodes, the Dukes of Hazzard plot centered around cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat), who lived on a family farm in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia, with their cousin Daisy (Catherine Bach) and their savvy old Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle).

Former bootleggers, the boys wreak havoc around the county in their custom 1969 Dodge Charger dubbed General Lee, dodging the corrupt county commissioner Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and the inept Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best).

Always managing to get caught in the middle of something, the Dukes often perform spectacular stunts in their seemingly bombproof Charger.

The TV show was actually based on the 1975 film Moonrunners, which, in turn, was inspired by the life of Jerry Rushing, a real-life bootlegger.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Rushing - who inspired the Bo Duke character - used a modified 1958 Chrysler 300D capable of 140 mph (225 kph) to move illegal whiskey.

Not one, but hundreds of Chargers were used during production

As I mentioned before, the original TV series spanned from 1979 to 1985. Warner Bros., the company in charge of production, initially commissioned six Chargers for the first five episodes, but as the show progressed, anywhere from 250 to 325 units (depending on the source) were converted to General Lees.

While most of the Chargers were R/T-spec 1969s, a few were 1968-built R/Ts modified to look like 1969s.

Initially, the cars were painted in a Chrysler color called "Hemi Orange," but most got a similar shade of orange called "Flame Red," originally available on 1975 model-year Corvettes.

In addition, the Chargers received a race car-inspired set of decals that included the number 01 on each side and a Confederate flag flanked by General Lee lettering on the roof.

Apart from the iconic visual modifications, each Charger had its doors welded shut and received a roll cage for improved safety, as well as the the now-legendary "Dixie" horn that played the first twelve notes of the song "Dixie's Land."

Less than 20 survived

Since nearly every episode featured at least one major stunt - a compilation of which you can watch in the video below by AutoMojo - the hundreds of General Lees took serious damage.

Most were totaled beyond repair, but some were put back together either by the production crew, who reused them, or by enthusiasts who purchased them after filming concluded.

Though thousands of faithful replicas exist, less than 20 of the original General Lees used in the TV show are still around today.

None of the Chargers used for the TV show featured a HEMI

Though the first Charger that became a General Lee and saw use as a promotional vehicle was powered by a 375-hp 440 Magnum V8, most of the other cars used in the series came with different V8 engines.

Some were powered by the standard 230-hp 318 two-barrel (the few 1968 cars) or the 330-hp 383 four-barrel.

Contrary to popular belief, none of the Charger R/Ts that became General Lees featured the mighty 426 HEMI.

The name and roof decal have since become extremely controversial

For decades, no one had any issues with the General Lee hero car. Die-cast scale modes, plastic kits, and other merchandise that featured it sold like hotcakes.

However, with the somewhat recent emergence of the cancel culture, a rising number of people began protesting the car's name and roof decal.

Since Jerry Rushing nicknamed his trusty 300D "Traveller," after Confederate General Robert Edward Lee's favorite horse, the Dukes of Hazzard got the "General Lee" moniker.

However, the General has become a controversial figure often associated with slavery and racism.

The same can be said about the Confederate flag (originally the Virginia battle flag) placed on the Charger's roof. While sometimes associated with racist organizations, the flag is often used to symbolize rebellion and Southern pride.

Although the TV show never featured anything remotely racist, the public pressure surrounding the name and the flag persuaded many General Lee owners to remove or replace the decals.

The most famous example is pro golfer Bubba Watson, the owner of one of the first three chargers, who was more or less forced to replace the Confederate flag with an American flag.

Despite controversies, it remains one of the most famous TV cars ever

In 2005, Warner Bros. released a Dukes of Hazzard movie, starring
Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, and Jessica Simpson. Though a damaged General Lee appeared without the Confederate flag in the first scenes, it was repaired and repainted in its original guise throughout the plot.

While controversial for some, the General Lee Charger remains one of the most famous TV cars of all time for many. Extremely popular nearly four decades after the original TV show ended, the iconic car made the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T one of the most famous and sought-after muscle cars ever created.