What kind of car smokey and the bandit

Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned.

Sales of the coupe exploded after the film hit the silver screen and set unprecedented records for both Pontiac and the Firebird nameplate. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mids, with sales hitting 68, units in But returned sales of 93, examples, a jump of around 25, cars.

Sales jumped even higher in when Pontiac moved , Trans Ams. Sales almost doubled in two years, which is a very big deal given that the Trans Ams facelift was rather minor save for the front fascia.

During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. The movie had an even bigger impact on the Trans Am. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. In , Pontiac delivered 93, Trans Ams and 93, regular Firebirds for a grand total of , cars.

The third-generation Firebird was introduced in , a full two years later than planned. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. The sound came from a Chevrolet Custom, the same car that was used in Two-Lane Blacktop and American Graffiti, films launched in and , respectively. The Pontiac Trans Am seems like a natural choice for Smokey and the Bandit, but the car was only a few inches close to not being used in the movie.

The muscle car market reached a peak in the late s, as the car was becoming larger, more powerful, and more aggressive by looks. However, the U. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. I was in West Plains the other day and there is yet another variation of it there. The cop cars with the hood scoops were ex-DeKalb County Georgia cruisers.

The scoops were added by the department because the engines ran so hot. Always loved this movie growing up. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a for some of the higher speed scenes.

Over many viewings I noticed some scenes the car would skate around and take off like an animal while in others there were one-tire-fires and it would struggle to get going. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop?

Supposedly there was a stick car for the burnouts and an automatic car for other shots. I recall reading somewhere that the Trans Am that did the bridge jump had a tweaked Chevy in it with a stick, and of course that it was WO after the jump.

Some of the more recent DVD releases of it redid all of the engine sounds and it sounds much more mellow than the original not happy about that. I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. Frog not included. I really enjoyed this discussion. I also own a scale version of the Bandit Trans Am.

I am indeed a fan. It airs on cable tv all the time. I prefer Buford T. The films are indeed classic and very funny to this day. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. That is why there are not any left. I know that Trans Am that jumped that bridge broke the axle when it landed.

Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. No more needs to be said. I think Stroker Ace is after Smokey and the Bandit, though there was Hooper, which was about a stuntman, it also had Sally Field, it was from or so. Reynolds was the top box office draw from to , then his movies really started to go downhill.

I beg to differ Mr -Nate. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. Gotta love that guy! We even bought one of those Pontiac Police Specials on auction from…. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here?

Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. I enjoyed the hell out of my Dart Pursuit. I looked at a Bluesmobile worthy Plymouth Grand Fury, the big ones, it was an ex Florida Highway Patrol car, but it had a pretty good amount of rust and it was pretty beat.

Back in , I went to look at a late s Plymouth cop car as well. Somebody locally is selling a Regis Plymouth Fury ex Florida Police with gasping V8, he will for the right money toss in a with it. Nice article Jason — I was a fan of this movie when it came out — I look back now and think, wow, did I really think this was entertainment??????

Gleason was a genius, but this was not one of his better outings — I prefer the Hustler and Gigot. Great article! This movie came out during my early formative years — pre grade school. I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars though good enough for the times.

And the Pontiac or Olds versions could be made to run well. I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them.

MN12 Thunderbirds had the same appeal to me, for similar reasons. So many classic quotes in this movie. Always a favorite. In , while a high school student in Norwalk, CT, me and a few buddies would routinely drive up to Vista, NY, which was just over the state line.

The little packy there had Coors and even though it was horribly expensive, we thought it was the elixer of the Gods…. These were the cans with the two circular push buttons on top instead of pull tabs. Somehow this store had a regular supply. A black Trans Am is parked in my garage because of this movie. The uncut version is the best. The dubbed version is awful. Gleason probably wanted too much money to provide the dubbing, which is a shame because it ruins the TV version.

It had an AM transmitter and you would tune in the sound on your AM car radio, or on my case, on a transistor radio.

It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. Probably the most interesting thing about this movie and Burt Reynolds is that he is not originally a Southern boy at all — he was actually born in the Wolverine State — Lansing, Michigan to be precise. One of our favorite movies. I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. Your email address will not be published.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. His persona—round, dumpy, and clipping words—reminds one of another fictional southern sheriff… image source: www. A new, Pontiac LeMans.

Want proof? Such as this one…. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www. Posted February 28, at AM. Posted February 28, at PM. Posted March 1, at PM. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. Posted January 24, at PM.

Jason Shafer. Jim Klein. Jose Delgadillo. Posted March 29, at PM. Mike G. I'll thank you not to use that kind of language in my presence. Never mind that crap. What the hell is this? This is evidence. Well, I don't care what it is. You can't drive this piece of shit on my highway. I'm tellin' you for the last time. I happen to have my young son in the car, and I don't wanna hear that kinda language.

Look, I'm askin' you one single, goddamn Hold it! Don't you ever, ever raise your voice to me! Do you know who you're talkin' to? I happen to be Buford T. Justice, a distinguished officer of over 30 years' seniority! One of the most highly-respected law enforcement agents in the United States of America.

That vehicle happens to be evidence, valuable evidence, that's going to convict a maniac that I've been tryin' to apprehend and that I have been in high-speed pursuit of for miles! He is wanted for a Mann Act, kidnappin', and the attempted murder of over 20 brother officers. Sir, I'm sorry. I had no idea. It never occurred to me. Well, please, sir, you proceed immediately. And, well, sir, I I hope you'll accept my apologies for my profanity.

Apology accepted. The moment when the car loses it's roof. Get back in the goddamn car. Lol, Buford's cruiser on top of a civvie LeMans The one that got trashed as the result of Sheriff Buford T. Just because it's used a lot, it doesn't mean it's part of the movie. Problem, one inconsistency of this cult movie : geography.