Photo: Barrett-Jackson
In 1977, Smokey and the Bandit did two things: one, it secured Burt Reynolds’ superstar status, and two, made the same-year Pontiac Trans Am one of the most popular movie cars. Flash forward to 2022, the car that featured in the classic movie sold for nearly $500k.
The 1977 action-comedy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing and a Golden Globe for Sally Field as Best Actress. Back then, it was the second highest-grossing movie after Star Wars: A New Hope. More than forty years later, the classic film is rated 7/10 on IMDB and has become a cult classic.
Besides Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jerry Reed, there was an unspoken unpaid character: the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. According to Director Hal Needham, they used three Trans Am examples for the movie, and it turned the model into a superstar. After the movie came out, sales jumped from 68,745 units in the previous year to 93,341.
Burt Reynolds also revealed that a senior executive at Pontiac had promised him to get the Trans Am for free if the movie became a hit, which it did. He eventually received his car as a “thank you,” for the model’s popularity, but the actor put it up for auction in 2014, due to financial difficulties. Reynolds did not drive it around much, and it comes with only 3,600 miles (5,800 km) on the odometer.
One year after Burt Reynolds sold it, it was completely restored, and it looks just like it did back in the day. It recently entered an auction at Barrett-Jackson.
The car comes in the SE configuration and some extras on top of the factory options. The list includes an engraved dedication plate affixed to the driver's door and a signed autobiography of the actor. Under the hood, there’s a 6.6-liter V8 engine that, paired up with a three-speed automatic transmission, delivers 180 hp.
Since the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am cemented its legacy after the movie, it’s no surprise that someone ended up splashing almost $500,000 for it, the iconic car selling for $495k at the Scottsdale 2022 Auction.
Besides Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jerry Reed, there was an unspoken unpaid character: the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. According to Director Hal Needham, they used three Trans Am examples for the movie, and it turned the model into a superstar. After the movie came out, sales jumped from 68,745 units in the previous year to 93,341.
Burt Reynolds also revealed that a senior executive at Pontiac had promised him to get the Trans Am for free if the movie became a hit, which it did. He eventually received his car as a “thank you,” for the model’s popularity, but the actor put it up for auction in 2014, due to financial difficulties. Reynolds did not drive it around much, and it comes with only 3,600 miles (5,800 km) on the odometer.
One year after Burt Reynolds sold it, it was completely restored, and it looks just like it did back in the day. It recently entered an auction at Barrett-Jackson.
The car comes in the SE configuration and some extras on top of the factory options. The list includes an engraved dedication plate affixed to the driver's door and a signed autobiography of the actor. Under the hood, there’s a 6.6-liter V8 engine that, paired up with a three-speed automatic transmission, delivers 180 hp.
Since the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am cemented its legacy after the movie, it’s no surprise that someone ended up splashing almost $500,000 for it, the iconic car selling for $495k at the Scottsdale 2022 Auction.
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