Needham served as the driver for the stunt (in place of Reynolds), while Lada St. Edmund was in the same car (in place of Field). I recall reading somewhere that the Trans Am that did the bridge jump had a tweaked Chevy 350 in it with a stick, and of course that it was WO after the jump. The redesign was originally planned for 1980, but 1978 and 1979 became record years for GM's division, so the new model was pushed back. I grew up in Illinois, within eyeshot of the banks of the MIssissippi River, and ten miles from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. 12 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming. If it wasnt for Smokey & the Bandit, the Dukes of Hazzard TV series would not exist. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 (No Ratings Yet) . Not that Id kick either front end style out of the garage for dripping oil, as long as they dont have the 403 in them anyway. This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . Of course, we could argue that Needham could have used the engine note of a Pontiac GTO from the golden muscle car, but the 1955 Custom recordings were probably readily available, and he just didn't need the hassle. Reynolds and Field began dating during the filming.[13]. The Bandit Run quickly became a fixture, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie with a special 2017 screening of the film attended by Reynolds and a recreation of the jump undertaken by the Bandit and Frog across a river. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. And lets not forget the Trans Am rental car Steve McQueen drove in his very last movie, The Hunter from 1980. I always think scumbum because when I watched it as a kid in the early 90s, it was usually on TBS. I dont know if Ive ever seen the unedited version though, so I never realized the orignal phrase was sum bitch, I always assumed it was worse. He gave Needham a preview of the song and, getting no reaction, offered to rewrite it. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. I never understood why dragging a truckload of beer from Colorado to Georgia was such a big deal. A segment of the CMT program Reel Eats used a sloppy joe-style recipe consisting of seasoned ground beef, corn, and sour cream. Likely this isnt any rare engine venting package, but I could be wrong. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. At one point in the movie, the Bandit wrecks a police car. Most reports of his death still didnt have that right! A group of Trans Am owners and fans of the movie take part in an annual road trip from Texarkana to Jonesboro, recreating the route taken by the characters in the film. As luck and script writing would have it, Frog has left her groom at the altar. She is a runaway bride, sitting on the side of the road in her 1973 Chevrolet Impala coupe. You might think that seeing their cars routinely destroyed on movie screens across the country would give the manufacturer pause, but that is not the case at all. I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them. It cornered amazingly well for such a large car, but the posi rear end emitted ominous sounds so I passed on it (I was in college and didnt have any place to do major repairs). Her groom? I just dont like car novices that assume the Pontiac T/A was soley a movie tie in car and the it started in 1977.. Ive also looked at a Fox based LTD cop car and an early 1991 whale Caprice 9C1 detective model, burgundy on burgundy cloth. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. The third film which had no involvement from either Hal Needham or Sally Field and contained only a short cameo appearance by Burt Reynolds revolved entirely around Jackie Gleason's character, was panned by critics, and was a box office bomb, earning only $7 million against a $9 million budget.[41][42][43]. High estimates for the car were up to $80,000, but the actual sale price was $450,000. Wanting to promote the aesthetically modified 1977 model, but lacking cars owing to delays in production start-up, GM modified four 1976 Trans Ams with '77 spec bodywork and decals for the film. Future President Gerald Ford, after a trip to Colorado, hid it in his luggage to take it back to Washington, D.C. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a steady supply airlifted by the Air Force to Washington. Jana, another oddity was that I could go to Carbondale and be asked where down south I was from. I think you may be confusing the movie Honky-Tonk Freeway with the filming done during I-75 construction near Sarasota. Naturally, it fetched the highest price with a . I drive a conversion van. Id be surprised. Launched on the big screen in 1977, Smokey and the Bandit revolves around two bootleggers as they attempt to illegally transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. Round and dumpy, just like the Colonnade LeMans! You can see in some shots in the movie that the Bandit Trans Am has 1976 style gold honeycomb wheels instead of the gold snowflake wheels from the 1977, I think at least one of the cars used in filming was a 1976 converted with a 1977 front clip. Two of the most high-octane films of 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road and Furious 7, each burned through hundreds (Furious 7 alone destroyed a reported 230 cars), but theyre far from the first to do so. Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. I started cruising through EBay and the next thing I knew I won the auction for a clean 400/4 speed/T-Top 78 Trans Am. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. Conversely, I could go to Paducah and be asked where up north I was from. Reed also penned and performed the song for the opening credits, entitled "The Legend", which tells of some of the Bandit's escapades before the events of the film, and the ballad "The Bandit", which is in several versions in the movie and on the soundtrack. Thats all well and good, and it worked smooth as silk for a good while. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Unfortunately he passed away a few months ago or that would have been a great question to ask. Set with his . Another one is, Theres no way youre from my loins.. I have at least 4 really good car buddies that will from time to time love popping this movie in to watch. Always a favorite. Well, at least that's what you saw in the movie. The dubbed version isnt as bad as the Remastered Blu-ray. Here is the LeMans; Gleason literally drives the wheels off: As an aside, heres a curious bit of trivia. All pictures from the movie were acquired from www.imcdb.org, Fred Lives!!! I know, Ive owned a 75 for 23 years. Even when the 2nd gen was already coasting on fumes, and defanged, and after the reasonably shitty Smokey and the Bandit sequel, Pontiac managed to pump out 107,000 Trans Ams in 1980 and 70,000 for the 2nd gen Trans Ams swan song in 1981. Wealthy Texan Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos have sponsored a racer in Atlanta's Southern Classic and want to celebrate in style when he wins, so they are seeking a trucker willing to bootleg Coors Beer to Atlanta for their refreshment. Just like the exaggeration sales went up 700%. This phrase achieved a level of popularity with children and the 2007 Hot Wheels release of the 1970s Firebird Trans Am has "scum bum" emblazoned on its tail. 1975 PLYMOUTH FURY HIGHWAY PATROL "SMOKEY & THE BANDIT" 1/18 BY . With the Smokey and the Bandit actor gone, and the impact the actor had on the Trans Am community, having one of the few connections to him destroyed is too much. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. Gleason has a treasure trove of hilarious lines and it was this movie that started my love affair of cars back in the early 1980s. Depends upon what he converted it from. Most of the shots that show Reynolds and Field in the car talking were filmed with the T/A being towed along on a lowboy trailer. As a former Club Wagon pilot, I happen to like his Econoline. I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. Seven: (Three with Burt Reynolds and Crew, and Four without) Smokey and the Bandit - 1977 Smokey and the Bandit II - 1980 Smokey and the Bandit III . Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? When I was a kid, there was an old record from the 50s around the house that was a collection of radio and tv bloopers. One was a radio ad for a movie that went something like: . [8] Niver provided much of the western attire worn in the film, as well as the custom-made sheriff's uniforms (waist size 64") that Gleason wore throughout the film. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. It took four evenings to see almost all of the movie in bits and pieces. The truck at the shell station is actually a 75 or 76 Toyota Hilux. A strike at General Motors in 1972 limited the production of the Trans Am to less than 1,300 units that year, and Pontiac almost canceled the nameplate. The film was a sleeper hit, and following a poor initial performance, it went on to gross $126.7 million in North America, versus a budget of only $4.3 million. So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. According to Wikipedia, the second movie was able to get away with destroying an INSANE number of brand-new Pontiac LeMans police cars because Pontiac had them sitting around in the southwest region, having been sent to a rental fleet in Phoenix without a/c. Smokey & The Bandit Police Cars. It made no sense to me as it was fifty miles north and fifty miles south. Hal Needham did pass away as someone earlier said. I think more of Smokey and the Bandit II and the awful part 3 were filmed largely in Florida, I dont know if I-75 construction was started by 1976-77, at least the section down to Miami part, when they filmed. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 1977 after Star Wars. Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. [37], The first run in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie, The Bandit Run was the brainchild of Dave Hall, owner of Restore A Muscle Car. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. [5] Sally Field only accepted the part after her agent advised her that she needed a big movie role on her rsum. [12] The area around Helen, Georgia, was used for some locations. The Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. The side vents give it away. There has never been anything quite like late 1970s fashion in clothing. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_301466-Ford-LTD-II-1977.html. Every idiot with more money than brains wanted a Trans Am. During this time, the Firebird also surpassed sales figures of the Chevrolet Camaro. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. That said, an uncomplimentary accent does exist. The Burdettes' car is a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado convertible painted in a "Candy Red" color scheme and is seen briefly at the beginning of the movie and in the final scene as the Bandit, the Snowman, Fred the dog, and Frog use it to make their escape. Of course, it's difficult to asses whether these small decals did something to change buyer perception about the Trans Am, but it's an interesting part of the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am's history. When Smokey & The Banditfirst aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase sum bitcha regional butchering of son of a bitchhad to be dubbed out. On top of Burt Reynold's top-notch acting, Smokey and the Bandit is also famous for the Pontiac Trans Am that the actor drove throughout the film. I had no idea that it was going to become a 70s classic. Your email address will not be published. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. [9] Though the film Moonrunners (1975) is the precursor to the television series The Dukes of Hazzard (19791985), from the same creator and with many identical settings and concepts, the popularity of Smokey and the Bandit and similar films helped get the Dukes series on the air. The 1977 model wasn't out yet when filming began, so General Motors provided 1976 cars with front clips from the soon-to-be-released 1977 update. The production team wrecked three for the four cars it received from Pontiac. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. (it did taste a lot better than Bud as I recall). But would the black and gold T/As be as desirable today without the movie? Though no authoritative source identifies the composition of the sandwich, there are several possibilities. How did any bra manufacturers survive the 70s? Somewhere along the line, the company acquired a new president who told Reynolds: Im the new president, and I dont like your movies. In its place was the nonsensical "scum bum." . After the movie did well, Pontiac gave Burt a free Trans Am to drive for a few years. Thats all true. Of the many cars saved from the fire was the only surviving Knight Rider KITT Super Pursuit Mode car created by Jay Orberg. The next movie, Smokey and the Bandit II, featured the same cast and an updated version of the Trans Am.The second version of the Smokey and the Bandit car was a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that had a similar paint job, the updated front end, and gold "Turbine" style wheels.The 1980 models featured a turbocharged 4.9L Pontiac V8, but that still wasn't enough power for the stunt personnel. From what I have read the artist did the poster rendering from some blown up stills that he was shown from the movie, and none of them for some mysterious reason included the Trans Am, the truck, Reynolds, Gleason, Sally Field, crashing police cars, but no T/A. Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. Nuts about any form of classic motorsport and muscle cars, Ciprian's currently working on a time machine that would take him back to the 1960s for a long vacation alongside Dan Gurney and Jim Hall. Smokey and the Bandit was one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s. Regular film-goers might not pay much attention to the car's engine sound, but gearheads will quickly notice that something is off. Sales almost doubled in two years, which is a very big deal given that the Trans Ams 1978 facelift was rather minor save for the front fascia. Cape was far enough north that it was watered down and there was so much cross-pollination with the Illinois side you really didnt discern much difference. Nice job, I know its cheesy as heck but I love this movie and still tend to watch it when I see its on TV. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. He's a proud member of the TopSpeed team since early 2014. With Reynolds agreement to do the movie, and his insistence upon casting Gleason as Sheriff Justice, the movie became a larger venture. In my area, nearly every one listed is an ex cop car. It was a powerful car, and I was glad to be issued it as my range car instead of one of the new but already disintegrating 1985 Oldsmobiles supplied by a local dealer that most people had. Reynolds and Needham owned the Skoal Bandit team at the time, so getting these other drivers to appear probably would not taken much more than a six pack of beer and a hug from co-star Loni Anderson . Needham and assistant director David Hamburger spent 30 hours revising the shooting schedule.[4]. So these kind of represented a rebellion attitude to the government mandated diesel econo hatches everyone thought we were going to be forced to drive in the 80sinterestingly 1979 was also the best year for the Corvette too. Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. When Smokey and the Bandit first aired on American network television in the early 1980s, censors were faced with the challenge of toning down the raw language of the original film. I am indeed a fan. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was destroyed. ARRGH! (first posted 2/28/2014) The fourth highest grossing film in the United States in 1977 was the Academy Award nominatedSmokey & The Bandit. Of course, it wasnt hard to wake them up. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. However, the U.S. government introduced new emission controls in 1972, and automakers had to step back. AWESOME! The 1977 Firebird Trans Am once owned by Burt Reynolds was sold at auction Saturday for $495,000 at a sale held by Barrett-Jackson. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. Its W.W. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. [40] Major portions of the audio background have been modified with different engine sounds or tire squeals from the original film. . Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon character Fred Flintstone. News . What were the police cars in Smokey and the Bandit? Earlier DVD releases and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of the film have the original soundtrack intact. Reynolds was the top box office draw from 1975 to 1982, then his movies really started to go downhill. Burt Reynolds once claimed in an interview that there were actually 12 Trans Ams featured in Smokey and the Banditand he wrecked every one. Free shipping for many products! As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. I have only seen pieces of the second and none of the third; I plan to keep it that way. Great article! He claimed that the Bandit is never made aware of Frog's leaving Junior at the altar, which is why the Bandit continually asks why a Texas sheriff is chasing him. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] The MASSIVE year over year sales gains came from somewhere. Some fellow classmates were extras on the film set, and it was a big deal around here at the time. While it is doubtful Pontiac sold very many LeMans police packages, if one views this show as realistic, it would seem nearly every county and highway patrol in five states purchased one of Pontiacs heavy duty offerings. No more needs to be said. I loved the fact that Jackie Gleasons brown Lemans had a blue vinyl interior and it even had the luxury cushion steering wheel! The original Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is a classic, and fans were excited when a sequel was announced in 1998. . Im east bound, just watch ol Bandit run.. [14] The Trans Ams were actually 1976-model cars with 1977 front ends (from 1970 to 1976, both the Firebird/Trans Am and Chevrolet Camaro have two round headlights and in 1977, the Firebird/Trans Am was changed to four rectangular headlights, and the Camaro remained unchanged). It outsold its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart for the first time. Haul my wife and four shelter adoptee mutts in it. The dubbed version is awful. That girl from the McCoys video probably looks like Paula Deen now. Just after re-entering Georgia, Snowman is rescued by Bandit after being stopped by a Georgia State Patrol motorcycle trooper, and state and local police intensely pursue Bandit with roadblocks and a helicopter to track his movement. S/E T/A with the round headlights. [5] Reynolds revealed in his autobiography that Needham had written the first draft script on legal pads. They destroyed all those cars in the films he said. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. Despite growing up next to Cape, most of relatives are from the Mid-South. [36] Another proposal, based more closely on images from the film and the shooting location of the scene (at an Old Hickory House restaurant in Georgia), is pulled pork and hot sauce on a hamburger bun. Here are 20 facts about the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. The uncut version is the best. Thanks for this, Jason. That parking lot was full of Trans Ams! Many of the film's original sounds were replaced. While made to take advantage of the ongoing 1970s CB radio fad, the film added to the craze. I recall a big smokey burnout right after they left Snowmans house that looked 455-worthy and also after Bandit picked up Fields he left two strips after nailing second (right before the tire thieves crossed the road), which makes me think there was also a 4 speed car used. It was something regarding distribution limits. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? No, the T/A was selling fine before the movie, and the black/gold package dates to 1976, a full year before the movie was out in summer 77.