The clock is ticking for fans of Pontiac muscle and Smokey and the Bandit. Entries for the Bandit Dream Giveaway close September 10, leaving only a few weeks to enter for the chance to win a restored 1977 Pontiac Trans Am Special Edition autographed by Burt Reynolds. Click here to enter now.
Few cars are as instantly recognizable as the black-and-gold second-generation Trans Am. The blockbuster 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit transformed Pontiac’s already formidable performance machine into a pop-culture icon, with Reynolds’ Bandit character making the Trans Am nearly as much a star of the movie as he was.
This Trans Am was built in April 1977, just before Smokey and the Bandit arrived in theaters the following month. Finished in Starlight Black with a black velour interior, it carries the coveted Y81 Special Edition package, giving it the unmistakable gold graphics and accents associated with the Bandit-era Trans Am.
Unlike the T-top cars most commonly associated with the movie, the Y81 was the hardtop Special Edition. This example is documented as one of 1,477 Special Edition Trans Ams produced with an automatic transmission and without T-tops.
Its original window sticker, showing a final price of $7,958.26, provides an interesting snapshot of just how heavily optioned this Pontiac was when new. Click here to enter now.
The Trans Am is powered by Pontiac’s desirable T/A 6.6-liter (400-cubic-inch) four-barrel V-8, backed by a Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.
The original window sticker also shows an impressive list of equipment, including factory air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, Safe-T-Track, AM/FM stereo, 8-track tape player, rear seat console and remote decklid release.
The Special Edition package added the details that made these cars impossible to miss, including the gold hood decal, gold striping and emblems, gold interior appointments and gold cast-aluminum wheels.
Signed by the Bandit Himself
There is one feature that no Pontiac order form could provide.
Burt Reynolds personally autographed the driver’s-side sun visor.
That signature creates a direct connection between this particular Trans Am and the actor forever associated with the black-and-gold Pontiac. For a collector of movie memorabilia, Pontiac performance cars or 1970s pop culture, it adds another dimension to an already distinctive Special Edition Trans Am. Click here to enter now.
The enduring popularity of the Bandit Trans Am can sometimes overshadow the importance of the second-generation Firebird itself. By 1977, Pontiac had refined the Trans Am into a distinctive combination of aggressive styling, handling and V-8 performance at a time when many other American performance cars had lost much of their identity.
The enormous success of Smokey and the Bandit then gave Pontiac something no engineering department could create: a starring role in one of the defining automotive movies of the decade.
Nearly 50 years later, the black paint, gold screaming-chicken hood graphic, shaker scoop and aggressive Trans Am stance remain unmistakable.
September 10 Is the Deadline
Anyone hoping to put this particular Bandit-era Trans Am in the garage is running out of time.
The grand-prize winner will receive the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am Special Edition autographed by Burt Reynolds, and Dream Giveaway will also provide $26,000 toward the winner’s federal prize-tax withholding.
The winner is scheduled to be selected on or about September 23.
For Pontiac enthusiasts who have always wanted a black-and-gold Special Edition—or Smokey and the Bandit fans who have dreamed of owning a car connected directly to Burt Reynolds—the opportunity is quickly approaching its finish line. This promotion is licensed by the Burt Reynolds Trust.
Entries close September 10.
Enter the Bandit Dream Giveaway
