Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. It revolved around two bootleggers as they attempted to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. The film became an instant hit — the second highest-grossing film of the year, trailing behind Star Wars.
The most popular aspects of the movie are that of Burt Reynolds and the car that he drove, the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am — which remains one of the most iconic movies cars to this day. The Trans Am became an immediate must-have car for men and young boys, and it performed stunts that were impossible to recreate in real life. Furthermore, the vehicle immediately increased sales for Pontiac, giving the company their best sales years ever. On that note, here are ten surprising facts about the Pontiac Trans Am from the iconic movie, Smokey, and the Bandit.
9 The 6.6-Liter Decal Was There To Make It Appear More Powerful
One of the reasons the public loves the Pontiac Trans Am is that it is powerful. But power is not what made this iconic Trans Am famous. To attract the viewer's attention, the Trans Ams used in the film were equipped with different decals on the hood scoop that read T/A 6.6, which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. This minor modification was made to remind viewers of the 1969 Trans Am Models, which had an excess mounting to 300 horsepower.
Though the 1977 models also came with a 6.6-liter engine, they only cranked out 200 horsepower. This change was somehow peculiar, as most manufacturers at the time were cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. It is difficult to say whether these small decals changed buyers' perception of the Trans Am, but the facts are worthwhile for Smokey and the Bandit.
8 4 Trans Ams Were Involved In The Film
Hal Needham had set out to get six cars for production, but he came up two short. Pontiac issued Needham with four Trans Ams, three to use in the movie, and one as a promotional car to drive around and advertise his film, Smokey and the Bandit.
The three vehicles were destroyed during various stunts, including the one used as a promotional vehicle. On top of the four Trans Ams, Hal Needham also received two Pontiac Le Man's models to move around and about cars in the movie.
7 The Engine Noise In The Movie Is Not From The Trans Am
While the Smokey and the Bandit made the Trans Am seem like one of the best-sounding muscle cars ever built, that engine sound from the movie wasn't original. It was a sound effect. This might come as a shock to regular viewers, but not to gearheads with a passion for muscle cars. Most enthusiasts probably might have thought something was off with the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit, and it didn't sound like a Trans Am.
Well, this thought was true. The sound engine came from a 1955 Chevrolet Custom, the same car used in TwoLane Blacktop and American Graffiti. Needham saw that the sound effects would be better because the Trans Am used did not sound intimidating enough.
6 The Cars In The Movie Were Not 1977 Models
After seeing the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in a magazine advert, Needham convinced Pontiac that their car was the perfect vehicle for his film, Smokey, and the Bandit. But while the cars shown in the movie looked like 1977 Trans Ams, they were actually 1976 models, and the 1977 models were not out when the film began.
So General Motors issued Needham with the 1976 cars with front clips from the soon-to-be-released 1977 Trans Ams. Though they might look the same, these cars had significant differences. The 1977 model came equipped with rectangular quad headlamps instead of two round lights, a unique slanted V-shaped nose, and a center-mounted hood scoop.
5 Director Hal Needham Loved The Trans Am From An Advert
Hal Needham, the director of Smokey and the Bandit, was a stuntman, and he believed that the one thing that would enhance his film was some excellent old product placement. While reading a magazine, Needham came across an advert featuring the stunning Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, which he decided was the perfect car for the movie.
Pontiac issued four cars to use in the film and one as a promotional vehicle. The three vehicles were destroyed during various stunts, including the one in the iconic jump scene.
4 It Almost Missed Its Chance In The Movie
The Pontiac Trans Am looks like a natural choice for Smokey and Bandit, but the car almost missed its chance of being used in the movie. In the late 1960s, the muscle car market had reached its peak, as the vehicles produced were becoming more powerful. However, in 1972 the U.S. government introduced a new emission control and forced automakers to step back.
In response to the new law, a strike at General Motors limited the production of the Trans Am to less than 1,300 units, making Pontiac almost cancel the nameplate. Thankfully, the marque survived, and the Trans Am became famous five years later.
3 Smokey And The Bandit Caused The Trans Am To Sell Like Crazy
Way before the movie production had even begun, Needham had intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. And for that reason alone, he had succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. The coupe's sales increased after the film became a hit and set unprecedented records for the automaker and the Firebird nameplate.
The Trans Am was famous before the movie, with sales hitting 68,745 units, but in 1978, the sales jumped to 93,351 units — an increase of about 25,000 units. Sales escalated in 1979 when Pontiac sold over 117,108 Trans Ams. During this time, the Firebird surpassed the sales of the well-known Chevrolet Camaro.
2 The Movie Made The Trans Am So Popular That Pontiac Delayed The 3rd-Gen Firebird
Due to popular demand from the film, the Firebird Trans Am didn't go through any significant changes after the movie. In 1980, the automaker was expected to create the third generation of the Trans Am, but how could they after their record-breaking sales. Pontiac sold 93,341 Trans Ams in the U.S. in 1978 and 93,994 regular Firebirds in 1979, totaling about 187,295 cars.
The third generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. This year is where many collectors believe the Firebird hype ended.
1 The Cars Didn't Survive
So, after Hal Needham managed to secure all the four Trans Ams for the film, not all of them survived. As earlier mentioned, the three cars were destroyed in the incredible stunts making. However, all the four Trans Ams ended up malfunctioning somehow.
For the movie's final scene, they had another car push the fourth Trans Am to the scene because the car had serious damages from the stunts. And after the iconic jump scene, the fourth car didn't make it either. None of the cars from the movie survived. As a result, Needham received two Pontiac Le Man's to serve as patrol cars in the film.