On the campus of Oxford College in Alabama, “The Dukes of Hazzard” crew filmed the iconic General Lee jump that takes place in the opening credits of the show on this day in 1978. The 16 foot high, 82 feet long jump over Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane’s cruiser totaled the orange 1969 Dodge Charger. Of course, they had plenty more Chargers in the studio lot.
The stunt coordinator for the show bought as many of the cars as he could find. At the time there was no shortages, as Chrysler sold about 85,000 Chargers in 1969. The cars received roll bars, heavy duty suspension, altered brakes and other custom touches to make them safe and show ready. The cars that went airborne often received trunks full of concrete to prevent them from flipping.
In 2006, the original General Lee from that jump, known as “Lee 1,” was rescued from an Atlanta area junkyard where it had sat for 23 years. The car received a full restoration to its pre-jump condition from Travis Bell. In 2012, the vehicle sold for $121,000 at the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction. The Dukes of Hazzard ran on CBS from 1979 until 1985.
