Categories: Uncategorized

November 11, 1978 – The Dukes of Hazzard films iconic jump

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.

Dukes of Hazzard opening credits

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.

Brian Corey

Recent Posts

April 16, 2014: Mazda Honors a Quarter-Century of Driving Joy with the 25th Anniversary MX-5 Miata

By Alexander-93 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132180377 On April 16, 2014, the vibrant…

2 days ago

April 15, 1964 – Who bought the first Mustang?

On this day in 1964, two days before the official Ford Mustang on-sale date, one…

3 days ago

April 8, 2004: A Million Strong – The Skoda Fabia and the Legacy of Czech Ingenuity

Skoda Fabia VRs. By Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - Skoda Fabia vRS, CC BY…

1 week ago

April 7, 1947- Henry Ford dies

Henry Ford, with son Edsel, standing with the 15 millionth Ford and the original Quadricycle.…

2 weeks ago

April 6, 1904 – VW Beetle & Porsche 356 designer Erwin Komenda is born

Sure, Ferdinand Porsche often gets the credit for the Volkswagen Type 1, but let's not…

2 weeks ago

April 5, 1951 – Dean Kamen, Segway inventor, is born

Dean Kamen on a Segway, one of his many inventions. By Jared C. Benedict on…

2 weeks ago