A 1969 Dodge Charger licensed by Warner Brothers to promote the “Dukes of Hazzard” TV show is up for auction.
The car is signed by series stars John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, James Best, Ben Jones, and other cast members. One of 12 Chargers officially licensed by the studio from 1980 to 1985 and used in promotional material and at live events in the U.S. and Canada, the car will certainly appeal to fans of TV memorabilia.
Although the car never appeared on screen in the show, that’s probably a good thing as far as this car’s next buyer is concerned. The TV series is noted for its liberal destruction of Dodge Chargers and, according to some reports, ran through as many 300 during the show’s 147-episode run.
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“Here is one of the most instantly recognizable celebrity vehicles, seen by millions across the nation, which has its own historic place in the popular culture of the day,” said John Kruse, Principal and Auctioneer for Worldwide Auctions. “The car has spent most of the last twenty years in a museum-like setting, used only occasionally for special events.”
Although the car is recognizable for the CBS TV show on which it starred, it is also unavoidably linked to one of history’s most heinous campaigns of human suffering as a result of its Confederate flag and name. It is also, arguably, linked to a campaign to rehabilitate the image of the Confederacy to make its terrible mission more palatable to a broader section of society.
Whether that will have any impact on the value of the vehicle remains to be seen, but efforts to recognize the horrific legacy of the Confederacy have affected other cars associated with the show. Additionally, a number of states are no longer producing license plates with the Confederate battle flag on them and NASCAR has banned the flag at its events, giving the car’s livery and name wider implications.
The car is set to roll across the auction block on Saturday, September 4, at Worldwide Auctions’ Auburn Auction. profits from the sale of the car will go to the J. Kruse Educational Center and Career Coaching Academy, a nonprofit that seeks to help individuals find their passions and guide them towards a career path.
