Like any other large Chrysler product of the time, the Charger was in some ways conventional—there was the signature torsion bar front suspension, the rear leaf-sprung live axle, and numerous choices of familiar Mopar iron under the hood. While the styling was slightly revised from the ’68 model, including horizontal taillights instead of the quad round units, it wasn’t Dodge itself that made this car so well known to the general public. Starting in 1979, the ’69 Charger R/T was the vehicle of choice for the Duke Boys in the television series “Dukes of Hazzard,” in which the Charger known as the “General Lee” was as much a star as the human actors. Of course the Charger also performs outside of television, considering it represents one of only several hundred to come from the factory with the legendary 426 HEMI. With a gargantuan amount of torque (480 lbs-ft., give or take) at the driver’s command, it’s no wonder the Dukes chose the car for their epic adventures involving leaping over hapless Hazzard County cops.
