General Lee is coming to Secaucus. Not the historic Civil War general, but one of the 1969 Dodge Chargers used in the filming of the Dukes of Hazzard television show in the 1980s.
The car is one in the collection of 300 classic vehicles that will be displayed at Auto Expo 2001 starting on Jan. 20 in the Meadowlands Expo Center on Plaza Drive.
Every General Lee used on the Dukes of Hazzard was painted bright orange with a rebel flag on the roof, the “01” on the door, and the words General Lee on the roof. Every General Lee had a push bar and a roll bar installed although the General Lees that were used for jumping had different roll bars and some other modifications. The Dukes of Hazzard used about two General Lee cars per episode and sometimes more.
The General Lee became nearly as big a star of the TV show as the actors and received 30,000 pieces of fan mail each month.
The car is considered a class of the American muscle car, with a 440 cubic inch Magnum V8 engine. “The General,” as the cast called it, performed such amazing stunts that in most cases filming sequences wrecked one or more cars during each show. Many of these cars were later salvaged and sold. The General Lee on display at this year’s Auto Expo escaped this fate and was used to film sequences that did not require destruction of the vehicle.
Along with the famous movie car, Auto 2001 will feature the newest cars from 2001 from over 25 of the world’s leading automakers. Manufacturer representatives will be on hand to answer questions and show off the industry’s latest technology. The Expo will also feature exhibits on safety, custom accessories and characters from popular television shows.
Other attractions included free autograph signings by New York sports figures including Yankees, Mets, Giants and Jets, as well as an appearance by Penthouse Magazine’s Pet of the Year.
The Expo will be held on Jan. 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 28. Show hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for kids ages four to 12 and children under four are admitted for free. Free parking is available. The Meadowlands Expo Center is located on Plaza Drive in Secaucus.