Smokey And The Bandit Pontiac
Smokey and the Bandit (1977) is a riotous comedy with some mad car chases. It featured a host of extraordinary actors, such as Burt Reynolds, who has also starred in The Cannonball Run (1981) and The Longest Yard (1974), the inspiration for Adam Sandler's remake, and Sally Field, who has also starred in Mrs Doubtfire (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). But there's also a non-human star. Of course, there was the perfect costar that was the Kenworth W900A. But seriously! Who can forget that Pontiac Trans Am?
Smokey and the Bandit certainly made an impression with that Trans Am. It not only transformed sales for Pontiac, but it also featured a string of awesome stunts, along with stories about that car that have now become legend, not to mention, reinforcing the awesomeness of the Firebird Trans Am! Let's take a closer look at the suprising facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit.
We don't want to give away any spoilers here, but let's just say that Smokey and the Bandit (1977) is one fun car chase movie with a Trans Am as the star. Burt Reynolds plays Bandit, who drives this powerhouse machine, evading the police, with "Snowman", played by Jerry Reed, not only an actor but a country music star, driving a Kenworth W-900 A — one seriously powerful semi-truck.
Let's remember that the legendary Trans Am is being chased by a 1977 Pontiac Le Mans, the police car in hot pursuit, not to mention the 1975 Plymouth Fury. But that Trans Am is just too fast and Bandit is too cunning.
9 The Bandit And The Trans Am
Burt Reynolds, aka the Bandit, must have been impressed by the trans am because he acquired his own 1979 Trans Am. This Bandit's Pontiac was powered by a 6.6 liter 400 cu in V8 engine, delivering 220 horsepower. Bandit Movie Cars produced this car for the star.
Reynolds may not have had his own customized Trans Am had the director Hal Needham not seen a picture of one in a magazine. But how to persuade General Motors to give him the Trans Ams he needed, only to wreck them? He offered the carrot of more sales as a result of the film. Well, his negotiations paid off!
8 Pontiac Versus The Bandit
There's no doubt about it! Smokey and the Bandit was good for car sales! Just have to compare the sales stats. In '77, 68,745 units sold. In '78, 93,341 units sold. The next year it spiked. 117,108! Not to mention, the movie grossed $300 million. Good times for both the Trans Am and the director!
Actually, it was so good that the 3rd generation Trans Am was postponed. Remember, too, that only five years earlier, the Firebird was nearly discontinued. 1972 may have been a bad year for GM, but the same cannot be said about 1977 with that awesome Trans Am!
7 What Year Was That Trans Am?
Now we have to address the year of this Trans Am because it's not as straightforward as it may seem. It certainly deserves a detailed look. '76 Trans Ams are used in the film, but with some modifications.
The front end of the cars were from '77 models, which included changes to the headlights, the head scoop, and a modified nose. Remember too, this movie was released in 1977, the same year that Star Wars was making its own impact. So the timing was a major reason for the latter modifications.
6 The Impact Of A Stuntman - Hal Needham
Hal Needham was a stuntman and the inspiration for the character Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt, in the film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019). Needham was famous for working with legends like John Wayne. He was a stuntman in films like the Western film How The West Was Won (1962) and Little Big Man (1970), starring the awesome Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway.
Needham was not only the director of Smokey and the Bandit (1977) but was also a stunt driver on set, reportedly involved in the bridge jump, alongside the singer and actor Lada St. Edmund, who was also an accomplished stuntwoman. Needham was the one who chose the Trans Am as the car for Smokey and the Bandit.
5 The Trans Am And The Chase Scenes
The chase scenes in Smokey and the Bandit are certainly entertaining, especially watching Buford T. Justice's 1977 Pontiac LeMans take on the Trans Am. Buford is played by Jackie Gleason. Now, it must be remembered that the '77 LeMans "Enforcer" police package car was touted in one advertisement as being "real hardnose" with its 400 cu in v8 engine.
Of course, these chase scenes came with their own set of risks. Reynolds recalls how they attempted a jump over a wall that was supposed to land in a baseball field, then drive around a game being played. But Sally Field's stunt double panicked. Instead, the car ended up flying over a group of children. Reynolds said this was the first time he had seen something like that happen. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
4 More Than One Trans Am
Pontiac gave the Trans Ams to Needham for the film, along with two Pontiac LeMans. Three were reportedly used on set (and destroyed!) and a fourth wouldn't start, thus was pushed into the scene with the help of another car.
Now, let's talk about the destruction of those cars! Reportedly, the Mulberry bridge jump was the final destination for one of those cars. Yes, totally destroyed! Apparently, that Trans Am was fitted with a booster rocket. Years later, Burt Reyolds said that there were actually twelve Trans Ams in the film and each was destroyed, suggesting he was the cause.
3 What's Making That Trans Am Roar?
If you thought this Trans Am was not sounding like it should, then you are right. What we were hearing was in fact the sound of a 1955 Chevrolet Custom, the same as that used in American Grafitti and Two-Lane Blacktop. It seems that the sound of a Trans Am engine did not have the same impact.
Now talking about Chevrolets, Hal Needham reportedly revealed that a Chevy engine paired with a manual transmission was used in that famous bridge jump. Yes, it seems that even though the Trans Am was the star of this show, the Chevy influence was still felt.
2 How Much Was That Trans Am?
Let's head to the auctions! Starting with Burt Reynold's custom '79 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am built by Bandit Movie Cars that was gifted to the star went up. This tribute car went under the hammer for a sweet $317,500 in 2019!
A special-edition '77 Trans Am, also owned by Reynolds, went up for auction, selling for an impressive $172,000 in 2020. The hood was personally signed by Reynolds. It would be remiss for us not to mention the promo car for the film that took home a mouth-watering $550,000 in 2016.
1 The Legend Of The Trans Am
It must be remembered that the legend of Bandit and his Trans Am continued with two sequels following. Smokey and the Bandit II features a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Turbo. While Smokey and the Bandit 3 showcases a 1983 Pontiac Trans Am.
But nothing will take away from the customized 1976 Trans Am on the film that started this journey. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) was a trailblazer, not only in shaping a part of the history of a car, with its sales and its impact, but also inspiring a new appreciation for the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
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About The Author 
Joshua Irvine (71 Articles Published)
Joshua Irvine is a writer, researcher and historian. His interests include the history of the automobile industry, including the history of cars in pop culture and cinema. He holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
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Source: https://www.hotcars.com/smokey-and-the-bandit-trans-am/
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