(Julien's Auctions)
With more and more retailers banning products that feature the Confederate flag, the opportunity to buy one is becoming rarer every day.
This is especially true of replicas of the General Lee from “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV Show, which Warner Bros. stopped licensing for merchandise last week.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of used items available for sale, including full-size recreations of the Dukes’ famous orange Dodge Charger with the Confederate flag painted on the roof.
"Bo Duke" himself, actor John Schneider, built one of those for his personal collection, and it was up for auction – along with an authentic KITT from the series “Knight Rider” and the Hell’s Chariot hot rod from the movie “Grease” – at Julien’s Auctions Hollywood Legends event last weekend.
The description of the car says it has been signed by both Schneider and NBA-star-turned-TV-basketball-analyst Jalen Rose, who is listed as a previous owner. Rose, who auctioned the car for charity in 2011, covered up the Confederate flag while it was in his possession and switched the number to 05, to match the one he used as a player. He also changed the lettering over the driver’s door from “Bo’s General Lee” to “Longboy,” which was one of his nicknames growing up. Apparently, Rose’s updates have been reversed since.
A different General Lee built by Schneider that was featured in made-for-TV "Dukes" reunion movies sold for $495,000 in 2008. The one at Julien’s had a pre-auction estimate of $200,000-$300,000, but there were no takers. It was offered with an undisclosed reserve price.
Neither the KITT nor the Hell’s Chariot sold, either, so it’s not clear if the recent controversy regarding the Confederate flag played a part in the General Lee’s failure to find a new home. Just before the auction began, a spokeswoman for Julien’s said interest in the car hadn’t changed one way or the other in the weeks leading up to it.
The car itself didn't make an appearance at the event, as it was on display at the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons in Ireland at the time.
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