In 1977, the film Smokey and the Bandit contributed to a surge in sales for the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Production numbers rose from 46 701 units in 1976 to 68 745 in 1977, reaching 93 341 in 1978.
Pontiac management initially promised actor Burt Reynolds a new Trans Am every year for life. The company honored this agreement for a period, providing cars that Reynolds gifted to family members.
The arrangement ended when new management took over at Pontiac and refused to continue the practice. The brand later gained further exposure through the Knight Rider television series in the early 1980s.
General Motors discontinued the Pontiac brand in 2009 during bankruptcy restructuring. The Firebird and Trans Am models had remained in production until 2002.
A 1977 Trans Am SE previously owned by Reynolds sold for $495 000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2022. According to Hagerty, a Y82 trim model in excellent condition is valued at $71 000.
