TV's Most Famous Car Stars

George Barris with General Lee

The Show: The Dukes of Hazzard
The Cast: Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach
Number Of Episodes: 147
Years It Aired: 1979 to 1985

"Daisy Duke, if you wasn't my cousin, I'd marry you!" — Bo Duke

The General Lee was a ratings success right from the first episode of The Dukes of Hazzard in January 1979. Story lines generally involve the fun-loving Bo (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) — "good ole boys, never meanin' no harm," as Waylon Jennings famously sang in the theme song — untangling the schemes of corrupt local politicians while struggling to protect their family farm in Hazzard County, Ga.

General Lee, their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger, frequently gets to play the role of the hero, showing off its speed in wild car chases with the bumbling sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best).

Capable of jumping over rivers and smashing through roadblocks, the durable General Lee never appeared to suffer any damage from Bo's ferocious driving. In reality, however, the show went through approximately 300 cars from various model years with only about 20 left in drivable condition.

Aside from General Lee's athleticism with stunts and apparent indestructibility, fans swooned over its rugged good looks: The car is bright orange, with a Confederate flag on the roof, racing numbers on both sides ("01" in black paint) and a horn that toots the first 12 notes of "Dixie." Also befitting its macho swagger, the General Lee kept its windows rolled down, which devised the signature vehicle entry for Bo and Luke — hopping in and out of the open windows. "The director wanted the doors shut," says Barris. The legendary customizer counts the General Lee among his creations, but describes it as a "team effort" to build.
 
This star car appeared in every episode but one, and some episodes revolved around the car entirely. Remember when the Duke family had to rescue the General Lee from Luke, who had been hypnotized by Boss Hogg to get rid of the car?

The General Lee was so popular that it even received fan letters. All queries about the famous car received an autographed photo of the car in reply, with a tire print as its signature. Along with General Lee, this show made another lasting contribution to pop culture: "Daisy Dukes," a term that was coined to describe short shorts worn by sexy cousin Daisy (Catherine Bach).

The General Lee is set to win even more new fans, with a Dukes of Hazzard movie now in theaters. The cast comes with a lot of star power, including Seann William Scott as Bo, Johnny Knoxville as Luke, Jessica Simpson as Daisy, Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg and Willie Nelson as Uncle Jesse.

Photo courtesy of Barris.com

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