Burt Reynolds Trans Am Sells for Nearly a Half Mil at Auction

Burt Reynolds only had one Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and this was it.

There are few Hollywood movie cars which are more recognizable than the black-and-gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. While Burt Reynolds was in loads of blockbuster films, he is best known among gear heads for his role as the Bandit. Not surprisingly, Reynolds had his own version of the movie car, which was gifted to him as a “thank you” for his key role in the movie’s success – ranking second only to Star Wars in 1977.

That 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition was the only T/A that Reynolds ever owned and while he didn’t drive it often, he held onto the car until selling it in 2014. The buyer, who is now the seller, had the car fully restored to its original glory in 2015 and it was featured in the 2019 Bandit Run, which included a return to Reynold’s Florida estate. At that time, Reynolds signed the glove box door, but sadly, a year later, he passed away of a heart attack at the age of 82.

This past weekend, the Bandit’s own Firebird Trans Am rolled across the Barrett-Jackson auction block and when the final gavel sounded, the winning bidder handed over nearly a half-million dollars.

Burt Reynold’s Firebird Trans Am

As you might imagine, the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition given to Burt Reynolds was loaded, including the Y82 SE package, air conditioning, the 400 cubic inch V8 with 180 horsepower, an M40 automatic transmission and the t-top roof design. While it was fully restored in 2015, it isn’t exactly restored to a fully-new look, as a few aspects of the car from Reynold’s ownership were preserved. This includes the “Bandit” lettering on the doors and the scuff marks on the driver’s side door sill plate, left by Reynolds as he climbed in and out of the car during his decades of ownership.

In addition to the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am itself, the winning bidder received Reynold’s original Florida title, signed and autographed by him, an engraved dedication plate in the driver’s door jamb, an autographed copy of Burt Reynolds’ autobiography “But Enough About Me”, a ‘70s style “Trans Am” jacket, a “Bandit” cowboy hat, a professionally made show board and a DVD of the film itself. Basically, it comes with everything needed to proper showcase the Bandit Firebird Trans Am that was owned by the Bandit himself. That will prove to be a big deal at a massive Pontiac show, where there are likely to be at least a few Firebirds that look just like this one.

This car rolled onto the stage at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction on January 29, and when the bidding ended, the winner laid down a whopping $495,000 for Burt Reynolds’ personal Firebird. While that is a whole lot of money for 1977 Pontiac, it could be argued that this is the personal car of the man who helped create the largest legacy of any Pontiac product.

Images: Barrett-Jackson

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com