The General Lee is the modified
Dodge ChargerThe Dodge Charger was a mid-size automobile produced by Dodge. The 1966-1974 Chargers were based on the Chrysler B platform. The 1975-1978 Chargers were based on the Chrysler Cordoba.-Origin of the Charger:...
driven by the Duke cousins
BoBeauregard "Bo" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985. He was played by John Schneider. The name of Beauregard may have been chosen after the famous Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard.Bo and his cousin Luke Duke live in...
and
LukeLucas K. "Luke" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard which ran from 1979 to 1985. Luke was played by Tom Wopat....
in the television series
The Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out through the windows. The car appears in every episode but one (
"Mary Kaye's Baby"). The car's name is a reference to the
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Robert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, and indeed the vehicle embodies the
Southern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, bearing as it does a Confederate naval jack on its roof and a horn which plays the melody from the first line of the song "
DixieCountless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
".
The idea for the
General Lee was developed from the famous
bootleggerRum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
Jerry RushingJerry Elijah Rushing is an American best known for his years as a bootlegger or "moonrunner" .Rushing was born into a family business making illegal whiskey...
's car, which was named for Lee's favorite horse,
TravellerTraveller was Confederate General Robert E. Lee's most famous horse during the American Civil War.-Birth and war service:...
. Traveller was also the name of the car in
MoonrunnersMoonrunners is a 1975 film starring James Mitchum, and the precursor to The Dukes of Hazzard television series. Mitchum had co-starred with his famous father, Robert Mitchum, in the similar drive-in favorite Thunder Road eighteen years earlier, which also focused upon moonshine-running bootleggers...
, the 1975 movie
precursor-Religious:*Forerunner, title of St. John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus*Jesus in Islam, forerunner of Muhammad *Shaykh Ahmad, forerunner of Bábism *Sayyid Kazim Rashti, forerunner of Bábism...
to
The Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
.
History
Although the estimated number of General Lees used varies from different sources, according to
Ben JonesBen Lewis Jones is an American actor, politician, playwright and essayist, probably best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jones was elected to be a member of the United States House of Representatives in 1988 and re-elected in 1990. He served for four years, until Jan...
("
CooterCooter Davenport is a fictional character from the American TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. He was played by Ben Jones.Cooter was the mechanic in the fictional Hazzard County, in Georgia. He owned The Hazzard County Garage in Hazzard County Square, directly across from the Police Department and the...
" in the show), as well as builders involved with the show, 256 General Lees were used to film the series. Others claim about 321 were used in the series. Approximately seventeen still exist in various states of repair. On average, more than one
General Lee was used up per show. When filming a jump, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 pounds of sand bags or concrete ballast was placed in the trunk to prevent the car from nosing over. Later in the series the mechanics would raise the front end of the car to keep it from scraping against the ramp causing it to lose speed, thereby providing a cushion for the driver upon landing. Stunt drivers report enjoying the flights but hating the landings. Despite the ballast, the landing attitude of the car was somewhat unpredictable, resulting in moderate to extremely violent forces, depending on how it landed. On many of the jumps the cars bent upon impact. All cars used in large jumps were immediately retired due to structural damage.
From 1979 to 1985, 1968 and 1969 model-year Chargers were sourced and converted to
General Lee specifications. Despite popular belief, no 1970 models were used, according to all builders involved over the years. Obtaining cars was not a problem until later years. By that time, the car was the star of the show and Warner Brothers moved building of the cars in house to keep the cars consistent in appearance. Later in the show's run, when it got too hard and/or expensive to continue procuring more Chargers, the producers started using more 'jump footage' from previous episodes. In the final season radio-controlled miniatures were occasionally used to the chagrin of several cast members.
Episodes 1 to 5 were filmed in the
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
towns of
CovingtonCovington is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 13,118. The city is the county seat of Newton County...
and
ConyersConyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, USA. It is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,689. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,205. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. By 2009, the reported population was...
in November and December 1978. Georgia episode cars consisted of 6 Dodge Chargers. The first General Lees were built by Warner Brothers (WB) and shipped to Georgia where John Marendi (picture car coordinator) labeled the first 3 cars
LEE 1,
LEE 2, and
LEE 3 in no particular order for film editing purposes.
LEE 1 was a 2nd unit car with a full roll cage. It is a 383 V8-powered 1969 Charger equipped with air conditioning (A/C). It was originally code T3
Light Bronze Metallic with tan interior, 3 speaker dash, and chrome rocker trim. After the now-famous jump over Rosco P. Coltrane's police cruiser by stuntman Craig Baxley, it was stripped of its front seats and 1969-specific grill and taillight panel.
LEE 1 was used once more as the "
Richard PettyRichard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
" tire test car in the fourth episode
Repo Men and afterwards was retired to a junkyard in
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, but later bought and restored.
LEE 2 was also a 2nd unit car with a full roll cage and tan interior. It was used for the opening scene in
One Armed Bandits. In this scene, Bo and Luke were chasing Rosco's police cruiser with the
General after Cooter stole it; during this chase,
LEE 2 is shown making a jump (the second that Baxley performed).
LEE 3 was the first unit 1 close-up car and the first General Lee built by Warner Brothers; it's seen in the first publicity photos. It was originally a F5 Medium Green Metallic R/T SE (Special Edition) model. It was powered by a 440 Magnum V8,375hp(horsepower)3671 lb,and also had A/C with power windows and a wood grain dash. This car had a tan interior and a removable roll bar that allowed installation of a camera for in-car shots. This car was painted 1975 Corvette Flame Red with a special basecoat; the basecoat was used after they found
LEE 1's paint appeared to be blotchy due to the direct application over factory paint. Eventually the first 3
General Lees started to show visible damage, so the crew had to start making more. The first
General Lee built in Georgia was a 1968 Charger converted to look like a 1969; the tail light panel, front grill, and front seats taken from
LEE 1 were used. The paint used on these cars was Chrysler code EV2 or "Hemi Orange". Interiors not originally tan were sprayed with SEM brand "Saddle tan"
Vinyl dyeVinyl dye is a product often marketed for use in recoloring vinyl upholstery in vehicles. It is also useful in recoloring soft plastics. Unlike conventional paint, vinyl dye seeps into the surface it is applied to, resulting in a color that will not peel or chip.Those who perform 'casemods' on...
. The first 3 Georgia
Lees had a set of crossed flags (a Confederate flag and checkered flag) on the panel between the rear window and trunk lid. Although 4 sets were created, only 3 were used. They were discontinued due to the continuity of the General Lee graphics, making it one less thing to be used. The 3 surviving cars went back to California and had the crossed flags removed upon reconditioning. The wheels were generally 14X7 inch
American RacingAmerican Racing Equipment Inc. is a high performance after-market wheel manufacturer started during the American muscle car era.-History:"Romeo Palamides, an early drag racing innovator,Grandfather of Jet Racing, designed and crafted leading edge, high strength-to-weight magnesium drag racing...
brand "Vectors" throughout the show and were mainly mounted on P235/70R14
B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A tires with the blackwall side facing out.
The Veluzat era
Andre and Renaud Veluzat built
General Lees for WB from the 2nd season into the 4th season. Viewers can also see two "Georgia" cars used often up into the early second season.
LEE 3 and a specially caged car never appearing (but built) in Georgia were used heavily in early California episodes. The Veluzats were somewhat inconsistent in how they built the cars, so this is when the most variations from specification are found. The paint was GM code 70, Flame Red (still orange, just the name of the color), but there does appear to be some variance here: interiors were mostly dyed brown and occasionally SEM Saddle Tan. According to some sources, the Veluzats charged WB $250 a week per car for rental and a lump sum of $2000 to $3000 upon destruction of the vehicles; this included police cars as well. WB mechanics had to maintain the cars at company expense.
The money generated by building
General Lees financed the Veluzat family project of restoring
Gene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
's Melody Ranch; it had burned in the 1960s. This ranch is where many classic Western films were shot as well as the television series
GunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
. Today, it is a fully functional movie ranch where shows like HBO's
DeadwoodDeadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
are filmed.
The Warner Brothers era
By 1983, Warner Brothers turned total control of building
General Lees to a man named Ken Fritz because the Valuzets were caught selling wrecked cars that had received cosmetic repairs and forged
VINVin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
s. Fritz didn't have the job long before he too was fired and at this point Warner Brothers moved full production in-house. The
General Lee was now the highlight of the series, and WB received enormous amounts of
Lee-specific fan mail that nit-picked the inconsistencies of the cars. Because of
General Lee's fame, WB had their staff mechanics build the cars to a specific appearance, even underneath. All graphics had to meet specifications, all side markers and rocker panel chrome trim were removed; and roll bars and push bars had to meet an exact specification. However, some changes were made before the specifications were laid-out: the push bar became wider, the interior became a light beige color, and the roll bars were covered in a black foam padding. During this period, the only true way for fans to distinguish the 1968 conversions from the 1969 originals is by the shape of the dashpad.
As the WB era rolled on, finding the cars became difficult: Piper Cubs were hired to search for 1968 and 1969 Chargers amongst the populace; the jumped cars were now no longer scrapped after one jump if deemed salvageable, and were repaired and used until they could no longer function; and, as last resort, miniature radio-controlled models were also brought in toward the end of the series to replace most of the big jump stunts, thereby saving more cars - something that proved unpopular with many episode directors (including Tom Wopat) who felt that the models did not look realistic. By this time, there was also a rivalry for "TV's greatest car" with the
Knight Rider series, leading to the models being used more and more for greater jumps to try and out-do that series. Taking full control also saved some money as now WB had the ability to buy cars, recondition them, and use them without paying daily rental fees.
The General Lee from The Dukes Of Hazzard feature film
At the beginning of the movie, the
General was a faded orange with a hand-painted "01" on the doors, black steel wheels, standard front bumper, and no Confederate Naval Flag. Midway through the film, Cooter repairs the
General after it's vandalized by Boss Hogg's hirelings. He repaints it a bright orange and adds the well-known trademarks (American Racing "Vector" 10-spoke "turbine" wheels, octagonal "01", black grille guard, Confederate flag on the roof, "Dixie" horn, and "General Lee" above the door window openings). However, Cooter didn't fix the doors and get them to open claiming he "Didn't have time to fix everything". In the film, the Confederate flag on the roof is made an object of conflict on two occasions. In the first occasion, the Dukes are stuck in an Atlanta traffic jam. During this time passing drivers make remarks towards them that alternate between cheering the South and condemning them as practicing
racismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, leaving the Duke boys puzzled; the last to comment says, "Nice roof, redneck! ... Join the
rest of us in the twenty-first century?!" and displays
obscene hand gesturesIn Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
. Mystified, Bo and Luke slide out of the windows so they could sit on the windowsill to look at the roof and discover the flag. In the second incident, the Dukes wind up with
coal dustCoal dust is a fine powdered form of coal, which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizing of coal. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created during mining, transportation, or by mechanically handling coal.-Explosions:...
on their faces, giving them the appearance of driving around in
blackfaceBlackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
; they stop at a traffic light and some
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
youths notice this and the Confederate flag on the
General. The youths come to the conclusion that the Dukes are making a racist statement and are about to give them a physical opinion of their roof graphic and facial appearance. Just as the youths were about to assault Bo and Luke, two black police officers show up and throw the Dukes in jail.
The movie
General not only flies and makes controlled landings, but also
driftsDrifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
with the aid of professional drifter
Rhys MillenRhys Millen , nephew of IMSA GTS driver Steve Millen, son of Rod and elder brother of Ryan, is one of the world's top competitors in drifting. Prior to that he was a top rally driver in the US, and became the first works backed driver from a car manufacturer with GM in 2004 after narrowly losing to...
. During jump scenes, some stunt cars were jumped under their own power by stunt drivers; others had their engines and transmissions removed. The engineless Chargers were then launched without drivers by a gas-driven catapult similar in principle to those used on aircraft carriers. Approximately 24 1968 to 1970 Chargers were used in the film.
Unlike the TV show era
Lees, the movie cars used aftermarket graphic kits. The movie gave them new credibility and are no longer considered to be an inaccurate choice. Otherwise, except for the white letters on the Goodrich
Radial T/A tires, the exterior of the movie's "close-up"
General Lees varied little from the TV show cars. The paint was
Big Bad Orange (an American Motors Corporation color) rather than Corvette
Flame Red; the interior headliner was black instead of tan, an actual roll cage was used; a 3-spoke Grant wood-trimmed steering wheel replaced the standard wheel, an AM/FM stereo radio with
Compact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
player was installed in the dashboard; and the interiors were a custom color vinyl fabric made to look like the dye/paint used in the later eras of the TV show. One still can differentiate the '68 Chargers by looking at the dash pad, but now 1970 Chargers were thrown in the mix. The cars somewhat resembled a late 1990s to early 2000s
General Lee cloneCloning is the process of making an identical copy of something.Cloning may also refer to:* Cloning , the copying of a programming object* Disk cloning, the copying of the contents of a computer hard disk to a storage medium or file...
, but the overall flavor of the
General Lee is still obvious. On all of the cars, the back-up lights and side marker lenses were removed, the openings filled in.
Eleven of the cars used for the movie had been purchased from the Luedtke Auto Group. Many of the cars had been cut up to allow for inside camera views.
General Lee #020 was the drift car used in the drifting scene around Lee Circle and was also the car racing the black Shelby at the end of the movie. It was one of the few (perhaps only) 4-speed equipped cars and was the backup to car #005. The car contains a unique emergency brake handle near the shifter that allowed the stunt driver quick access to locking the rear brakes at will. Though it did sustain some damage during filming, it is fully road worthy and is privately owned by Troy Martinson in Minnesota.
Two of the
General Lees (a 1969 R/T SE and a 1970 made to appear as a 1969) were temporarily sold to Warner Brothers by Everett "J.R." Barton of
Wichita, KansasWichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. The 1970 Charger was used to make the "freeway jump" during the police chase after Bo and Luke escaped from their Atlanta Police Department escorts; it had made the longest jump of any
Lees that appeared on screen and fairly survived and is the only car seen making that jump. In the "outtakes" one other car is seen making a nosedive into the street and going into the guard rail. That car did not make it in the movie. J.R.'s car makes a fairly perfect landing; but then it veers off to the left into the center divider wall. This particular
General Lee is once again in running condition and moving under its own power; it still wears its battle scars and can be seen at auto shows in the Midwest. The 1969 model was 'said' to have been used in one of the field driving scenes by the transportation director, because they were needing a car that was already distressed looking and it would be shot from the rear only, and could have been incorporated with the filming of the movie. Both cars were returned to him. The '69 in its original condition after filming wrapped, with the exception of parts that were swapped from his '69 R/T to and from other
General Lees.
Engines
Engines in the TV show
General Lees varied; 318, 383, and 440 CID V8s big blocks were used. None of the TV series cars had the 426 HEMI. However, the "close-up"
Lees (except for the first one) were 383-powered. The special purpose built "Ski Car" (the car that was used for stunts involving driving on the left side or right side wheels with the opposite side wheels in the air) had a 318, as it was lighter weight. Most of the 'workhorse' stunt cars had 318s and 440s. The stunt drivers tended to prefer 440s (a higher performance engine) for jumps, so 440-powered stunt
Lees were often saved for the higher bobby and longer jumps. Also, though early sound effects led many people to believe otherwise, only a handful of Chargers had manual transmissions; most had
727 TorqueFlite automatic transmissions. Also, in
The Dukes of Hazzard motion picture, Cooter replaced the
General's original engine with a
HemiThe Chrysler Hemi engine, known by the trademark Hemi, is a series of V8 engines built by Chrysler with a hemispherical combustion chamber. Three different types of Hemi engines have been built by Chrysler for automobiles: the first from 1951–1958, the second from 1964–1971, and the third...
.
Exit and entry
The
General Lee, except in the beginning of the movie, does not have opening doors. In the TV series, it is explained that racing cars have their doors welded shut, and this was often used for comedic effect when Uncle Jessie or Boss Hogg required help to squeeze through the window. (In one episode, Sheriff Rosco hires a bounty hunter [Jason Steele in the show] to create a fake General Lee and trick the Dukes into driving it, at which point he promptly orders their arrest for auto theft. The fake car was easily identified because its doors opened.) In the movie, the car has been repaired after being trashed, but the doors could not be fixed fast enough. The driver and passenger must slide in the window (as in
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
). For a running entry, Bo and Luke also slide over the hood rather than walk around the front of the car. However, in the
prequelA prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
The Dukes of Hazzard: The BeginningThe Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning is a prequel to the 2005 theatrical-release film The Dukes of Hazzard. An edited version of the film debuted on the ABC Family cable television channel on March 4, 2007. 'R'-rated and unrated versions were released on DVD March 13.- Plot :Bo Duke is arrested for...
, the left door was welded shut while the right one was not.
Exhaust systems
Exhaust systems were basic: some had
glasspackA glasspack, sometimes called Cherrybomb is a type of automobile muffler in which the exhaust gas passes straight through the center of the muffler. Packed fibreglass surrounds the exhaust channel and absorbs some of the high-frequency sound.All mufflers impede the flow of exhaust gas and create...
mufflers, but most had standard exhausts with the pipe cut just before the rear end. The exhaust sound that can be heard on most of the California-era episode
General Lees is from a
Thrush brand glasspack. The sounds came from the exhaust systems fitted to the "close-up" cars; the parts used were
Blackjack brand headers, dual exhausts, and the aforementioned Thrush mufflers. However, the sounds were dubbed in after the scene was filmed.
Tires
Tires used on the
General Lee varied, but the best known make and model was the
B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A. The most common size was P235/70R14; P235/70R15 was also used.
Winston Winners were also used. Movie cars had the white lettering on the outside, while TV cars had the white lettering reversed.
Salvaged LEE 1
LEE 1 was salvaged out of a Georgia junkyard in August 2001 by Travis Bell and Gary Schneider. The car has since been fully "restored" to its on screen appearance. It was officially unveiled to the public November 11, 2006 with
John SchneiderJohn Richard Schneider III is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a...
behind the wheel. On March 21, 2008, Bell sold Lee 1.
In popular culture
- A Dodge Charger dressed up as the General Lee appears at the end of the Chuck
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
episode "Chuck Versus the Delorean"Chuck Versus the DeLorean" is the tenth episode of Chuck's second season, and aired on December 8, 2008. Sarah's con artist father appears, and Chuck and Casey are ordered to use his latest scam to pursue a Saudi sheik with terrorist connections.-Main Plot:The episode begins with a flashback to...
," in the Buy More's auto stereo install bay.
- In the movie Eurotrip, the characters encounter an Eastern European man with a small hatchback painted to match the General Lee.
- In the Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode "To Live and Die in Dixie", Peter repaints and retools the family car to resemble the General Lee, even to the point of welding the doors shut. Brian then accidentally bangs his head on the closed passenger side window when attempting to enter the car for the first time because Peter forgot to roll his window down. In the episode "The Fat Guy Strangler"The Fat Guy Strangler" is the seventeenth episode of season four of Family Guy, which originally aired on November 27, 2005. Lois discovers she has a long-lost brother, Patrick...
", when Peter is held hostage by his brother-in-law Patrick, Brian throws a rock that hits Peter's head, shouting "that's for rolling up the damn window when I tried to jump into the General Lee."
- In Episode 20, Season 1 of "The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
", Cleveland's neighbor has the Confederate battle flag posted on his house above his doorway. At first it is thought that he is a KKK member; however, at the end of the show, it is revealed that the flag is his "Dukes of Hazzard" signed flag.
- The General Lee is a running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the online webcomicWebcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
PvPPvP, also known as Player vs Player, is a webcomic, written and drawn by Scott Kurtz, with around 100,000 unique visitors per day . On February 1, 2007, it became the subject of its own animated series.-Themes:...
, after a genie that Cole freed gave it to him.
- Vehicles similar to the General Lee are used in the videogame Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise is the seventh game in the Burnout racing video game series. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in January 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 for Microsoft Windows...
and the "Whoopin' and a Hollerin'" section of the videogame Stuntman Ignition.
- The prop from the movie is at a Hollywood car museum in Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
- In the television series Weeds
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, in a Season 5 arc, Andy Botwin obtained one of 17 General Lees from the 4th season of Dukes of Hazzard, however the car used in the show did not have the distinct hidden headlight.
- In the video for the Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
song "One Week", there is an orange Dodge Charger with an 07 on it which is supposed to mimic the General Lee. There is also a red and white Ford Gran Torino that is supposed to depict the police car Zebra 3 from Starsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
. Incidentally, in the pilot episode of The Dukes of Hazzard, a Starsky and Hutch car is driven by Cooter.
- An otherwise un-badged orange 1969 Dodge Charger with Western-style wheels driven by characters with southern accents wearing small Confederate Flag patches on their clothing appeared in Knight Rider
Knight Rider is an American television series that originally ran from September 26, 1982, to August 8, 1986. The series was broadcast on NBC and starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a high-tech modern-day knight fighting crime with the help of an advanced, artificially intelligent and...
episode 1.14, "Give Me Liberty... Or Give Me Death", as a competitor in an alternative fuel vehicle race that is blown up to attempt to throw the race.
- General Lee acts as a Totem entity to some Bone Gnawer packs in the role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Werewolf: The ApocalypseWerewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game and series of novels from the now defunct World of Darkness line by White Wolf. In the game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou , as well as other lycanthropes: warriors who are locked in a two-front war against both the spiritual...
.
- In the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game Project Gotham Racing 4Project Gotham Racing 4 is the fourth title in the main Project Gotham Racing series, developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft Game Studios.-Development history:...
, a Dodge Charger is used to unlock a Dukes of Hazzard themed achievement (01 Yee-Haw), when a jump is performed in the car.
- Retired WWE wrestler Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
occasionally wore orange tights fashioned after the General Lee, including "01" on the sides and a Confederate flag on the back.
- In The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Game the General Lee horn is heard while SpongeBob and Patrick are driving the Patty Wagon.
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