Vehicle Description
Big-displacement V8 high-performance cars were nearly extinct by
the mid-1970s, yet Pontiac held the line with its fast,
great-handling and audacious Firebird Trans Am. While sales hardly
required assistance, popularity was boosted by its now-iconic
starring role with Burt Reynolds in the 1977 movie, "Smokey and the
Bandit." Hal Needham's directorial debut, the film featured an
all-star cast and was second only to "Star Wars" among the
highest-grossing movies of 1977. Reynolds continued to be closely
associated with the Trans Am throughout his life, and this
Starlight Black-and-Gold 1977 Trans Am Special Edition was a
promotional vehicle later gifted to Reynolds as a "thank you" for
his pivotal role in its massive success. It is also the sole '77
Trans Am owned by Reynolds. Well-equipped, the Y82 SE car was
optioned with air conditioning, a 180hp 400ci Pontiac V8 engine,
M40 automatic transmission and twin-hatch T-roof. It saw limited
usage with Reynolds during his lengthy ownership, which continued
to late 2014, and was kept at the famed actor's Jupiter, FL, home
until acquisition by the seller, the car's second owner. In 2015,
it was professionally restored in Dallas, TX, to its virtual
"as-new" glory, including the extensive gold striping and gothic
lettering, with care taken to preserve the hand-painted "Bandit"
lettering atop each door and scuff marks left by Reynolds' cowboy
boots on the driver's sill plate. The car was reunited again with
Reynolds when it returned as the centerpiece in the "2019 Bandit
Run," culminating in a visit to Reynolds' Florida estate. This
event was the last for Reynolds, and he thoroughly enjoyed being
reunited with his former car, signing the glovebox door. Iron-clad
Burt Reynolds' provenance is confirmed by the Florida title, signed
and autographed by him. Includes an engraved dedication plate
affixed to the driver's door, an autographed copy of Burt Reynolds'
"But Enough About Me" autobiography, plus a late-1970s style "Trans
Am" jacket and "Bandit" cowboy hat, as well as a professionally
made show board and a DVD of the film that started it all. **SOLD
ON BONDED TITLE**
