David Lay, 57, has spent 14 years building a replica of the car from the 1970s TV series The Dukes of Hazzard – and it was finally ready in time for his wedding
A groom spent £82k to recreate the General Lee car from the Dukes of Hazzard just in time for his wedding.
David Lay, 57, is a huge fan of the 1970s TV series The Dukes of Hazzard and has spent 14 years working on a replica of the 1970 Dodge Charger. The 1969 car ‘General Lee’ in the original the television series was driven by race car drivers Bo and Luke but the 1968 and 1970 models were also featured.
The work was slowed down by Mr Lay undergoing a quadruple heart bypass but he arrived at his wedding to Sonia Barnard, 59, in style. The couple, who have been together for nine years, got married at Stowmarket registry office, Suffolk on June 28 in an intimate ceremony with family.
Bride Sonia said: “We worked so hard to get David’s dream car and it was surreal that it was finally ready for the wedding. We decided to get married this year and all of a sudden, the work on the car was getting done. The car was scrap in a field and David bought it, building it up from there and it took a long time.
“When he had his quadruple bypass, it put us behind and then we both had COVID as well. We couldn’t get all of the parts quickly, coming overseas from America and it was a bit hectic. It was so nice to have it for the wedding.” David enlisted the help of local firm A-TM engineering to help with the mechanical side of his faithful replication and the project cost him an estimated £82k.
He did not however get out of the car in the traditional Dukes of Hazzard way by climbing out of the car window. Famously in the programme, the Duke brothers Bo and Luke Duke had glued their car’s doors shut. David’s sister Sue Robertson said: “I think he was worried it would mess up his wedding suit.
“It was amazing that he had it finished just in time for the wedding. He loved that programme. We all did. We were huge fans.” After the service, which was attended by close family, everyone got in a mini bus to head for Felixstowe, Suffolk for a party on the beach. Sonya and David, from Needham Market, have four children between them, Sonya’s children, Kim, Kierren and Karl, and David’s son, Oliver, 19.
Sonya, David and the whole family then went on the new Felixstowe Ferris Wheel. David and Sonya will soon be enjoying a honeymoon in Benidorm.
