Here’s What Makes The Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck So Special – SlashGear

The LREs roar was just as bad as its bite. A 1976 issue of Car and Driver magazine noted that at 110 mph cruising speed, the interior noise level hit 94 decibels. That’s about the same volume as sitting next to a lawn mower. All that noise came from the very things that caught everyone’s attention first — the beautiful double chrome exhaust stacks just a few feet away from passengers’ heads. The LRE was so loud, Dodge couldn’t sell it in several states because it exceeded noise restrictions.

And that’s where the Midnite Express (ME) comes into the picture. Nearly a replica of the Li’l Red Express, the very rare ME was painted black instead and created for sale in states that didn’t allow the LRE, according to MotorBiscuit. It was manufactured for a single year, and only about 200 were produced. 

Since “Smokey and the Bandit” was a huge hit at the box office around the same time, it’s not a reach to say Dodge was hoping to ride the cachet of Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jerry Reed. The Li’l Red Express was painted in a color Dodge dubbed Bright Canyon Red with chrome exterior trim that twinkled atop distinctive slotted 7-inch wheels in the front and slightly wider 8-inch wheels in the back, according to MotorTrend. The Utiline stepside cargo bed’s exterior came with real oak siding, while the deck was lined with pine (via MotorTrend).