Everyone has seen the documentary titled “Smokey and the Bandit.” While one can debate the merits and demerits of bootlegging and rebelling against unjust traffic laws, it is clear that you need a proper blocker for running 400 cases of illegal Coors brew. That proper blocker was, and is, a Pontiac Trans Am. However, would the color of the car have changed how the story ended? What if the Bandit drove this 1977 Pontiac Trans Am for sale on eBay in Eugene, Oregon? Would the Goldenrod Yellow color have given away his position to the law miles sooner, allowing them to set up effective roadblocks? Would kids grow up wanting yellow Trans Ams instead of black ones? If you are partial to alternative history, you too can be the Bandit dressed in yellow by surpassing the current $10,100 bid. Just as a legend and an out-of-work bum can look a lot alike, does the color of your Trans Am make you any less of an antihero?
For those of you poor, unfortunate souls who have never seen “Smokey and the Bandit,” it is the legendary story of an epic struggle to bring prohibited libations to an important social event in an abbreviated time frame. Sort of like “The Odyssey,” but for Southerners. At the time the documentary was filmed, we were told that Coors beer was not available in the American South and that bringing it across state lines was bootlegging. In Southern culture, bootlegging is a revered and righteous endeavor that young males are trained to embark on since they learn to ride a bicycle. It is sort of like how Spartan boys were trained to fight from an early age.
The most revered of all bootleggers were Bo “Bandit” Darville and Cletus “Snowman” Snow. It was at a truck rodeo that Darville was challenged by a very wealthy father and son duo with a penchant for matching outfits to bring 400 cases of Coors beer to them in Atlanta. They intended to celebrate the victory of their car in the Southern 500, and they weren’t going to let funding stop them from holding a proper event. They agreed to Darville’s price for the run and even outlaid the funds needed to provide a speedy blocker car to ensure success.
While not shown in the documentary, Darville must have immediately traveled to his local Pontiac dealer and purchased a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am (the car in the documentary was a 1976 model with a 1977 front end). The vehicle chosen was a loaded example in black with gold striping and T-tops. What isn’t discussed is why he chose a black car. Was it personal preference? Was it the long tradition of the antihero always being seen in black that guided him like the unseen hand of fate? Was it the only Trans Am on the lot at the time? What if the only Trans Am on the lot was this 1977 Trans Am in Goldenrod Yellow?
If it were this car, one must wonder if the story would have taken a different turn. The image of the Bandit in a black Trans Am is as ingrained into our minds as the presidential faces on Mt. Rushmore. Would his law enforcement foes have been able to see him coming at distances that allowed more successful ambushes? Would Carrie have gotten in a yellow Trans Am? Would Sheriff Buford T. Justice have shown the same amount of respect for Darville at the end of the documentary if he had come up short in a chase with a yellow car? Could Ronnie Milsap have just as well played Jackie Gleason’s part in the documentary? Like the age-old question about how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop, we may never know.
As for what we know about this yellow Trans Am, it isn’t much. All we are told in the description is that the car has been garaged, it runs well, it is all stock, and it is an excellent car to fully restore. We are also told that it has 165,000 miles on it. From the pictures, we can see that the car was equipped with Pontiac’s famous 6.6-liter V-8, an automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, power brakes, power steering, a tilt steering wheel, and it may even still have an 8-track player under the dash. Sadly, there is no sign of a CB radio, which is legally required if you drive a Trans Am of this vintage on the highways. If you get caught, you will go away until you are grey.
The seller has also provided some rather grainy pictures of the underside of the car. There is no evidence of rust anywhere on the car or under it, and no scuff marks are evident from jumping bridges. The vinyl upholstery has held up well except for a couple of spots in the driver’s seat. Overall, this car may be perfectly presentable after thorough detailing and a tune-up.
As for it being a proper substitute for a black Trans Am? Anything is possible, but antiheroes always wear black.
What do you think? Would the story have a different ending if the car’s color changed? Please share your thoughts on this and any other of life’s mysteries as they relate to the documentary in the comments.
The black car represents the sinister deed of breaking the law and the art of deception…also handy to blend in at night.
Bandit had a red shirt is a symbol of who is in control. He’s the hero for the rescue of the damsel in ditress…hence the white hat.
A yellow Trans Am in the movie would represent whimsy…not what Hal Neeham was going for in this flick.
Ill go a little further. Yellow is to me a happy color. Think of a smiley face. Its yellow. And I agree, you cant sneak around at night in a bright yellow car. I like yellow, but I think on a Trans Am in a movie like Smokey and the Bandit, it just wouldn’t have worked, for some reason, black was just THE color for that Pontiac in that movie. That being said, this is a nice example of a color you just dont see every day, and the black interior really sets off the yellow nicely. If I was in the market for one, Id look for something other than black, not because I dont like it, I do, but just to have something different and not a “me too” car.
Sadly there is no T/A before the 6.6 on the shaker denoting this car has A 403 Olds motor. I wish it wasn’t true because a good pontiac 400 with 4 speed is required to be a real bandit IMHO
The four cars used in the 1977 Smokey and the Bandit movie were automatic and quite likely Oldsmobiles. The automatic part is revealed multiple times in the movie, and the 6.6 Litre callouts on the hood show that they were low-performance station wagon L78 400s or L60 403s instead of the T/A 6.6 W72 400.
This is the first that I’ve heard them using anything other than the Olds 403 in the 6.6 Litre cars.
@PRA4SNW In 1977, the vast majority of TAs had the regular L78 “station wagon” 400 (180hp). The Olds engine was only sold in Cali and high-altitude areas of the country. Not many of the “TA 6.6” engines around back then. The replacement decal packs all have the T/A 6.6 hood scoop callout, so those get used for all 3 engines refurbed these days which makes it “appear” that was the more common engine.
They were all 76 Trans ams with 77 noses. Pontiac hadn’t even built 77s when the movie was filmed. So they all had Pontiac 400 motors
As you can obviously see the oil filler tube in front of the shaker, and if you zoom in on the core support tag this is definitely a 403. Not a 400. Shame. Still looks like a nice car.
Odd thing about the door panels on this one as I had a brand new 77 model. The power door locks are supposed to be on a toggle switch on the lower right of the dash in that small rectangular recessed area. That’s where that switch and the rear defog toggle go. There also should be a plastic medallion with the Trans Am logo on the door panel covering where a crank handle would go for manual windows. Nice car though.
Medallion is there on the door if you look closely – the chrome has worn off so it’s less visible. Sometime mid-year the Firebirds went from dash to door mounted switches.
You are correct sir. I see what you mean about color rubbing off but I’ve never seen one with the lock on the door. I just figured it was on the dash to keep from GM making different door panels.
Goldenrod Yellow wasn’t common as it wasn’t popular. I believe this was the last year of two for this shade of yellow. To be different? It’s great. To retain and return most value? Not so much. A full resto on this car as the seller suggests is needed would likely take a long long time to return the $ if ever.
If this car is nice enough somewhere within the 10-15k mark is probably its real current retail market value. Being an AT Olds 403 car and not particularly rare or desireable it could be fun to drive til it grenades or the owner gets tired of that motor – then could make a good donor for a real Pontiac V8 swap or (hopefully not) an LS swap. A PHS documentation package is inexpensive and likely would have helped this seller. Pics are minimal and not that great either.
It’s an interesting coincidence that this car is in the town I went to college at and bought and cruised my ‘75 T/A with a ‘78 T/A 6.6 swapped in (after I grenaded the stock mill) for a couple years before heading back to my home town. Spent many an hour terrorizing the salespeople and test driving 77 and 78 T/A 4-speeds but just didn’t have the income or the guts to buy a new one. The dealer in town at that time was Bob Godfrey Pontiac, and the Trans Am club had a very large presence in Eugene area.
I like the car. The auction has ended with it going to slightly over $10,000 and not meeting the reserve.
I would have guessed it bringing more money?
If it was mine, I would drive it just like it is. Every old car doesn’t have to be show quality to enjoy and be proud of.
Reminds me of the days when I owned a 1979 TA.
Just my oponion!
I had a 400 77 TA. The least grunt of the 4 TA’s I’ve owned. Even the Ponch 400 in the 77 was no world beater. I got torched by a 78 Z28.
Could have been the 185 hp version with 2:41 rear!!
Neil, same here. I had the L78 “regular” 180hp Pontiac 400 in mine. I also got beat by a 77 Z28 on a drag strip. I got the jump on him off the line, but he blew past me well before the line.
The ’77-78 z28s came only with healthy 3:42 rear for the automatics, & only 3:73 for the 4 speeds! No wonder they were faster. The updates that this t/a would need would be at least a change to a 3.42 rear & true dual exhaust, if the new owner’s home state will allow it.
What about the honeycomb wheels in the movie?