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Muscle1969 Dodge Charger: Muscle Icon and General Lee
The car that became a TV star.
The second-generation Dodge Charger, built from 1968 to 1970, has a body line people recognize from across a parking lot. The 1969 model combined that look with serious power and later won a second life on television as the General Lee.
1969 Charger R/T, 500 and Daytona variants
The R/T carried a 440 Magnum V8 rated at 375 horsepower, and the 426 Hemi, at 425, was available on top of that. Dodge also built the Charger 500 and the Charger Daytona, whose pointed nose and tall rear wing were designed for NASCAR speedways. In 1970 a Daytona became the first NASCAR car to officially pass 200 mph, at Talladega.
The 1969 Charger as the General Lee
The Dukes of Hazzard turned an orange 1969 Charger into a pop culture figure starting in 1979, and production crews used a great many of them for stunts, which makes surviving cars precious. The roof flag painted on the General Lee remains a subject of debate, so buyers of replicas should think about how they plan to display one.
1969 Dodge Charger key facts
- Model year
- 1969
- TV role
- General Lee
- Big option
- 426 Hemi