For years, the television show “The Dukes of Hazzard” was a weekly feature on many TV sets across the United States. For 147 episodes, starting in 1979, the show prominently featured a Dodge Charger driven by the show’s main characters, affectionately called the General Lee.
The show ended nearly four decades ago, but the popularity of the General Lee, and subsequently the Dodge Charger, continues to live on. The Charger is one of the most popular vehicles in America, and used or classic versions of the car continue to command high prices at auto auctions worldwide.
But why does a car made popular by a TV show that ended 40 years ago continue to entice buyers? People (and we here at SonicBidder.com!) have a few theories:
The show was incredibly popular.
Many kids alive today may not remember “The Dukes of Hazzard,” but at the time, it was one of the most popular television shows. It ran for seven seasons, and its 147 episodes were translated into multiple languages and continue to be shown on TV today all over the world. The show was even adapted into a movie in the early 2000s.
This means that millions of people worldwide watched the weekly antics of the Hazzard family and, subsequently, the General Lee. While not many people were spending their weeks chasing down bank robbers to “help out” the county sheriff, the show allowed everyone to pretend they could.
The family-friendly show was the first “action” series that many kids were allowed to watch, and many children grew up aspiring to live just like the Hazzard brothers. For many people living in other countries, watching “The Dukes of Hazzard” was one of the first ways they got to experience what life was like in America.
The Dodge Charger was a well-made sports car.
The General Lee was a popular part of a popular show, but plenty of other shows from the time featured cars that haven’t become nearly as popular. One of the reasons behind this is the overall availability of the Dodge Charger used to make the General Lee.
The Dodge Charger was a car that seemed to be designed to be modified. In the show, the Hazzard boys had obviously welded the doors shut and installed a roll cage on their own, but it was strongly implied that they were doing or had already made many other improvements to the vehicle.
In actuality, the Dodge Charger was a sports car designed to be relatively easy to work on. One of the big reasons it was used in the show was that it was believable that a country family could afford and modify the car. Television was used to showcase the vehicle in many American homes, and many people who watched the show would strive to emulate the modifications made to the car.
In fact, a lot of the modifications and maintenance that the Hazzard brothers did to the car could actually be done on Dodge Chargers of the time, and the company strived for years to keep the design of the car so that it was easy for amateur auto enthusiasts to work on. For many people, that meant that the vehicle was an ideal investment for those who want to sell and buy classic cars. By doing a lot of the work themselves, owners could save money and choose how they wanted to customize the vehicle themselves.
The Dodge Charger was an affordable car.
One of the most significant factors that contributed to the popularity of the General Lee and, subsequently, the Dodge Charger was that the Charger was a relatively affordable sports car. It made sense within the show’s context that the working-class Hazzard boys could save money to buy a Charger and modify it themselves.
These cars were priced to be affordable for many middle-class Americans. This meant that many people chose the Dodge Charger as their first car. During the decades after the first episode of “The Dukes of Hazzard” aired, millions of Chargers were sold all over the world.
While many people became interested in the car because of the show, many ultimately decided to own it because it was well-built and affordable. Because they were easy to work on, many Americans could own and repair their Charger for years. That meant that many people developed a special affinity for their Charger. A lot of them had regrets when they eventually decided to sell them.
Today, these same people have more disposable income and fewer kids to take care of, and they’re looking to replace the Dodge Charger they had in their youth. Even though the Charger is still in production today, many people are looking for the car they remember owning or always wanted to own. If you’re looking for a classic car like the General Lee, contact us and take a look at our offerings on SonicBidder.com. While we may not have the original General Lee (pro golfer Bubba Watson owns it), we have many other great classic cars. Whether you’re looking for something in mint condition or a project car you can work on yourself, we would love to hear from you!
