Spotted: General Lee number one

OK, there were hundreds of General Lees - but this one is the original, promise

It is probably the only country and western song you're proud to admit knowing, so by all means sing it with me:

"Just the good ol' boys,
Never meanin' no harm,
Beats all you've ever saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born."

Click the link right at the end of this feature you'll see what happens when Bo and Luke shout YEEEHAAAW. Bo takes a stronger grip of the General's Bakelite steering wheel and they fly to freedom over Rosco P Coltrane's cop cars.

This epic piece of Charger aviation was 25 metres in length and nearly five metres in altitude, to be precise. The 1,500kg Dodge landed on tarmac, nose first, with enough frontal panel creasing to make you wince. The General Lee may have been indestructible, but the cars that portrayed it were not.

It didn't look like this after the filming...

But if you're a kid from the 80s then you've seen it a thousand times already. What if I told you this actual jumped car is the immaculate one about to go under the hammer at a Barrett Jackson auction?

Known as 'LEE 1', this is the very first General Lee to have existed, and - having spawned thousands of clones - now widely regarded as the most famous TV car in existence. Despite the 320 additional Chargers (this figure regularly gets argued, but we know cars from both '68 and '69 got used) that were bought, built and broken in the show's seven-year run, LEE 1 is the only General to appear in every episode. Those opening credits will forever immortalise what was - back in '78 - essentially just a worthless nine-year old muscle car.

Without question a lot of PHers have this 1969 Dodge Charger to thank for the reason they are motor heads today. Arguably it introduced us to drifting (obligatory oppo lock on the rural dust roads), burnouts and the art of using open windows as doors.

Repainted and left to die in Georgia

LEE 1 was discovered languishing deep amongst trees in a Georgia salvage yard in 2001. It was tracked down by enthusiasts Travis Bell and Gary Schneider. The complicated story of its discovery, its purchase for $400, and what happened next is best told by Gary himself via his website.

The early Dukes of Hazzard shows were filmed out in Georgia, with cars being built by Warner Brothers in California and shipped out to location. Why hadn't the bent, rotten hulk been crushed after filming back in '78? Because the boot was too full of concrete to weigh-in, so the owner of Cliff Shaw Transmissions in Dawsonville simply towed it (and the early cop stunt cars) home from the Georgia film set and left them to return to earth.

How do we know it's the original car? Well, besides the VIN there was a little embossed label (remember Dymo label makers?) that simply read 'LEE 1'. Oh, and then there was a roll cage, the tan vinyl innards, 383 cubic inch V8 and Confederate flag showing through the roof paint. The wrecked car had been repainted and featured in following episodes as a stock car.

Car all but wrecked after that first jump

Fast-forward to today and the General has changed hands several times before being revived at great cost over a 16-month period. The restoration involved an unlucky donor Charger and countless man hours remedying what was not just crooked but rotten, bodged metalwork. For pure authenticity the numbers and roof flag were hand painted in exactly the hap-hazard ('scuse the pun) manor to perfectly replicate the hurriedly prepped original stunt vehicle.

Had this not been such a special Charger - THE Charger - even a hardcore enthusiast would have left it out for the gypsies. But I for one am mighty chuffed that someone embarked on this historical resurrection.

LEE 1 appeared in the pilot episode, aired on January 26th 1979 - almost exactly a month before I was born - instantly re-writing the rulebook for the use of cars in action TV shows. It was a televisual cocktail I could never tire of (to the point where I tried a jump myself - more on that another day).

It goes under the hammer on January 15th with no reserve and is rumoured to fetch in excess of $1,500,000. Whether Leno will want to add it to his car warehouse is anyone's guess, but for me it's up there with the original Mad Max Interceptor and ever-elusive Bullitt Mustang.

So sit back, put your Cuban heels up and watch the pilot trailer/intro that started it all:

Spotted: 1969 Dodge Charger
Engine: 383 cubic inch (6,276cc) V8
Power (hp): 330
Torque (lb ft): 425
MPG: Hmmm, who's counting?
CO2: Lots
First registered: 1969
Recorded mileage: Unknown
Price new: $3,126
Yours for: $1,500,000 (est)

Pics: Gary Schneider http://www.mygenerallee.com and Barrett Jackson

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Jayzee

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