Published records now show that this car was chosen because the producers felt " that Chrysler produced enough Dodge Chargers (69,100) to always provide enough donor cars" for the shoot ... but, despite legend only 229 were actually used / abused during the filming over the course of 6 years....not the thousand's that people want to believe.
The second figure may be closer to reality for the Police Cars (600) sacrificed but, not the Chargers. The first 150 were 'grenaded' in the 145 episodes. The balance in Reunions and films. By 1985 (the end of filming), 210 were totally destroyed, flipped over, dumped in lakes / streams, crashed into barns, jumped over trains, crushed or burned.
The sacrificial Warner Bros.1st and 2nd Unit (abused) cars were all numbered on the glass "GL01" and up** after 1981. Some feel the highest value is in the 'abused' cars that were left...the nineteen real, General Lee's that survived... including the last one built, which is still owned / shown and driven by the shows star, John Schneider.... but, that matter is still open for discussion.
Part of the reason for the popularity of the car is that the 1969 Dodge Charger won 22 of the 54 major stock car NASCAR Races in 1969.
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