Over the past two years, Bubba Watson has won PGA titles over great players, such as Corey Pavin and Phil Mickelson. This by itself would satisfy most people’s quench for something fun and exciting. Watson, however, had to take things a step further.
On Jan. 23, 2012, he bought the original General Lee car made famous on the TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard”.
One of the most recognizable cars in history, the General Lee is a 1969 Dodge Charger. There were many different 1969 Dodge Chargers used to film the show, but the one Watson bought was the first. It is actually the one seen during the opening credits jumping over a police car. So not only is it one of the coolest cars ever, it also carries a lot of history along with it.
You may wonder how much it might cost to buy a one-of-a-kind iconic automobile. Well, Watson got the General Lee for the incredibly low price of $110,000. Wait a minute, over a hundred grand is a low price? It actually is when you consider the historical value of this particular car.
Of course, when you look at the highest selling cars in the history of car auctions, the price Watson got his classic for is barely a drop in the bucket. In 2011, a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rosa was auctioned off for over $16 million.
Watson bought his new ride at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, with many other celebrities attending the event. Some come to try and find the classic car of their dreams, others donate classics to the auction. Jay Leno, who is well-known for his private car collection, donated a tractor to help the Fisher House Foundation. Leno’s tractor was signed by himself and President George W. Bush and brought in $535,000.
Some may say it is silly to spend such large sums of money on cars. I think it’s cool that Watson got something with historical value, rather than something equally expensive that’s brand new off the assembly line.
Elias Bond grew up playing golf, and played religiously through high school and college. He still tries to find time to get out there for a round or two now and again, but seems to watch more than play these days.