No motion picture probably did more for the popularity of an automobile than Smokey and The Bandit and the Pontiac Trans Am. Sure, there was Bullitt and the Dodge Charger. Or Vanishing Point and the Dodge Challenger. But sales of the Trans Am went through the roof in the Summer of 1977 after Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields led Jackie Gleason on a grand chase. The seller’s ’77 Trans Am is one of the special editions built in the image of the movie car. It’s a one-family-owned project located in Mackay, Idaho, and is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $20,100 and counting. The reserve is still unmet.
The numbers speak for themselves. Not for mirror image cars like the one in the movie, but the sales/ production of the nameplate after the movie. In 1976, 46,701 copies of the second-generation Trans Am were built. In 1977, that jumped to 68,745 (remember the film was out only a half year), then shot to 93,341 in 1978 and peaking at 117,108 in 1979. The muscle car was alive again! Things cooled off in 1980 (even with a second Smokey movie) at 50,896 copies and then “just” 33,493 in 1981. The magic had finally worn off, as did interest in the cars that had been in production for 11 years. The Firebird and its Trans Am spawn would be all-new vehicles in 1982.
Pontiac celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1976 and a limited edition, black-only Trans Am was built to celebrate the occasion (pre-Smokey). Then came the black special edition with new-for-1977 rectangular quad headlights and the gold bird on the hood with production code Y82. It had a 400 cubic inch V8 (sorry, the 455 was long gone) that produced 200 hp in an SAE net-rated era with tighter emissions controls. Just 6,030 copies were built of the ’77 SE with the combination of an automatic transmission, Hurst shifter, and T-Tops (the seller gave us this number).
As the story goes, the seller’s father bought the car new in 1977, and when he passed away some years later, it was given to his son (the seller’s brother). Since then, it has been in storage after accumulating just 56,000 miles. Due in part to the drier Idaho climate, this Pontiac hasn’t been beset with rust after 55 years. It has never been in a wreck, too, but the Sun had done a number on the paint and decals over the years.
Other than new paint, it probably needs some more work, but the limited photos provided don’t help a lot in determining that. For example, neither the engine nor passenger compartments are shown in any great detail. But if you didn’t get a chance to own a Smokey-like Trans Am back in your youth, here’s your chance to obtain one and have the fun (?) of restoring it to its condition in the days of when Sheriff Buford T. Justice was in “high pursuit.”
‘I know what I got”, even if I can’t show you in the pictures…..
Prices are crazy for these, even in this condition. If it’s the real deal as it appears to be (not a clone), the sky is the limit.
I was right. This run down, needs a lot of work car just sold for $49,300.
Check your math, is see 45 years, not 55. Lots of money for a car that needs lots of work. I am glad that I kept my 79, WS6 car that I bought new, it still looks great, and we have had a lot of fun for the last 43 years. I hope the new owner fixes it and drives it (maybe not like the Bandit) and doesn’t treat it like an investment.
If I’d had the foresight I’d have kept the red ’77 that I bought new. One of the few I ever saw with no T-Tops. It did have the $50 option T/A 6.6 engine with the cheap chrome valve covers. Great car and I’d like another I just can’t afford or rationalize the current prices.
In 1980 at the age of 18, and after my dad saw the insurance numbers on a 77 Vette, I settled with a silver and red 77 with T/A 6.6 setup. My buddy had a 79 and couldn’t understand why my 77 would smoke his every time. He thought the 3 extra cubes should’ve been enough to get the job done! I paid $3,400 for that car with 7K on the odometer!
Yep, if you had the true TA higher hp engine from 77, it would blow away the Olds 403. Partly the engine, but also a lot to do with the different rear gearing.
I went into our local dealership in ’77 to buy an SJ455 Grand Prix and they didn’t have one but the salesman said I could get a deal on a Trans Am because the owner had 100 of them and they were parked everywhere. I bought a Buccaneer red one with a snow white interior, the nicer seats and literally every option you could get except it had matching red rally II wheels which I’d never seen before or since and no t-tops. $7200 out the door and I drove it three years before trading it in. I’ve owned so many new cars in 50 years of driving it’s crazy but that is the one car I regret not keeping and I’ve wanted it back or it’s twin for years.
As wishes go, really wish I would have kept my 78 black beauty. Someone had messed it up with fiberglass rear quarters but other than that it was VERY nice and original. Can’t touch one with today’s prices but who knows. That one fell in my lap…🤔
About 10 year ago I went to an estate auction that had one of these. It had always been garage kept, was like new, less than 20k miles, all paperwork was there including the window sticker. It sold for what I thought then was an astronomical amount of $21k.
At the same auction was also a really nice low mileage rust free 68 Roadrunner. I stopped bidding at $12k & it sold for $18k. The good old days, lol!