They’re rare, but there are a few classic muscle cars that made a direct impact on pop culture. These are cars like the Dodge Charger from ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ or Steve McQueen’s classic forest green “Bullit” Mustang. The thing that sets a true pop culture classic apart from the pack is the unique attention to detail that went into it. The legendary Trans Am from the Burt Reynolds hit “Smokey and the Bandit” was arguably the most memorable in terms of pop culture muscle cars.
Reynolds and Sally Field were instrumental in making “Smokey and The Bandit” a memorable movie. There was just something about its black and gold paint job and rocket hood that made it stand out. You could even say it was the car that catapulted both of their careers into superstardom. The film had two sequels and remains one of the most popular car movies to date. The original Trans Am has been copied and restored by many custom builders, but nothing beats the original. We looked at some facts that you might be surprised to know about the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ Trans Am right here, so buckle up.
The Car Was A 1976 Model
In the 1977 film, the iconic black and gold Trans Am driven by Burt Reynolds’ character, Bandit, is often remembered as a 1977 model. However, the car used in the film was actually a 1976 model that was modified to look like a 1977 model. The reason for this is that the 1977 Trans Am was not yet available when filming began in the fall of 1976. Pontiac only provided two pre-production 1977 Trans Ams (via Slash Gear).
The modifications included a new front end with a blacked-out grille, hood scoop, and gold trim accents on the body. To further enhance the car’s performance and appearance, the filmmakers turned to car customizer Gene Winfield, who then made even more changes to the car.