how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2

COAL Update: 1963 Buick Riviera A Journey Of A Thousand Miles, Etc. This was the lull between Gas Crisis I and II, 1976-78, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars. I remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, I am indeed a fan. Of course there was no movie at the time or nothing to show for it, so they couldnt work it out. The character Cletus Snow (Jerry Reed) mentions that Don Williams is his second favorite country singer. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Jackie Gleason's brief appearance as Reginald Van Justice was a reference to Reginald Van Gleason III, a character he played throughout his TV career. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). Nah, they survived by coming up with bras with very thin cups. Your email address will not be published. At the time, it was illegal to transport Coors east of the Mississippi River and a series of other truckers had been apprehended for trying to accomplish this feat for the Burdettes. Originally I was taken on as a stunt coordinator in addition to supplying all the cars, but while I was running around finding them, they found Rmy Julienne. Have the movie, cheesy as hell, but does have appearances by several NASCAR drivers of the day, including Dale Earnhardt (Senior, not Jr) Kyle Petty, Harry Gant, and one of my favorites of the era, Tim Richmond. He was a scientist. by 1980 Pontiac had dropped all of its big engine options for the Firebird. They were maneuverable. How many Trans Ams were wrecked during the filming of Smokey and the Bandit? Back then if Ida wanted an ex Police Car its be a CHP salvage Dodge or Plymouth ~ BIG roomy and _comfy_ , handled well and went like stink . Let me get the popcorn for this one. But 1978 returned sales of 93,351 examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars. Lets take a look at some more cars found in the movie. He and Cora literally grew up together. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. So, I kind of got semi-sidelined after all of that. Then, when we got back to London it was Saturday afternoon, but we didnt have to get the cars to the studio until Monday morning. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. I beg to differ Mr -Nate. I imagine that they borrowed some of the character from Sheriff JW Pepper from the 1973 and 1974 James Bond movies, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. Gas was a buck a gallon at the time so fuel economy wasnt a major issue. Who owns the Smokey and the Bandit truck? As such, it took a lot of sweet talking by former stuntman Needham for Pontiac to cough up three Trans Ams and three LeManses. Top Gear gives you lessons on winter car care, Top Gears guide to buying a used BMW 3 Series, 10 used cars for 5k or less we found this week, The new Gran Turismo movie will hit cinemas on 11 August 2023, Carlos Sainz Sr flips his Audi Dakar car, gets airlifted to hospital, tells pilot to turn around, returns to race, The UKs cheapest, decent cars to insureincluding a few fast ones. I went to police stations and got photos, all that nonsense. Even today when I stumble across this cinematic masterpiece being rerun on cable tv, Ill watch the entire thing. Tragically, every Trans Am used in filming was, seven: (three with burt reynolds and crew, and four without), A purely escapist movie dropped perfectly into that time and place, delivered with a black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am muscle, The movie remains so popular that each year, Restore a Muscle, Il bandito e la madama (Italy) Mistrz kierownicy ucieka (Poland) 1971 AMC Ambassador Avco 1972 Buick Electra 225 1968 Buick Riviera 1973 Cadillac Coupe DeVille 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado 1975 Cadillac Funeral Coach Chevrolet Advance - Design 1977 Chevrolet Bison 1971 Chevrolet Blazer. It kills us to watch it even now. We could go round roundabouts and not let anyone on, just by going round and round. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. Theres really nothing like an old cop car. They were the most fun little car to drive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The 'Smokey and the Bandit' Trans Am was a 1976 model, and three were destroyed. Burt Reynolds recently revealed the ridiculous number of Pontiac Trans Ams they went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit. About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. This movie trailer gives you an taste of this provocative film, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. While the initial concern was it having a regional appeal, it would ultimately play as well in New York City and Chicago as it did Atlanta, Georgia, or Biloxi, Mississippi. Sure Smokey helped, but was not the sole reason T/A and F body sales went up. I ended up buying a 1969 Cadillac ambulance a year later! The Kenworth even achieves a trifecta of sorts, as it gave the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. 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.. In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. A paper on Cognitive psychology was published in the 1990 issue of Computers in Human Perception. So, it seems apt to end on this one, how was that final cliffhanger scene filmed? I think even the 2nd gen Camaro enjoyed some of the blast wave from Smokey and the Bandit, 1979 was the best year ever for Camaros as well, with over 280,000 Camaros being sold. These included Mel Tillis as a Fairground Owner, Brenda Lee as a Nice Lady, Don Williams as himself, and the Statler Brothers, Phil Balsley, Lew DeWitt, Harold Reid and Don Reid also as themselves. Just do a search for Crown Victorias on your local CL. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. Well, they simply considered that the Trans Am didn't sound intimidating enough. Dont let his grumpiness fool you though; hes more than excited to provide the latest news and reviews on the most interesting cars in the industry. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Two of the trucks pull away, resulting in Gaylord and Reggie's cruisers crashing in the ensuing gap before they can cross, but Buford is still in pursuit, though his cruiser is barely functioning. Ask him to choose between a BMW M4 and an Audi RS5, and hell gladly trade both for a beat-up Cuda. The movies are: Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Hooper (1978), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and The End (1978). So we all hung together. Id like to hear from Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood scoops. Is It Better to Do a Face Mask at Night or in the Morning? Even with the hiccup, the film still advertised the 1977 model so well. you can find it on amazon.com . The film was followed by another sequel three years later, Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983), in which Reynolds only made a brief cameo appearance, and Sally Field did not appear. What happens if your car is stolen and never found? They were great to drive, as a teenager you dreamed of having a Mini Cooper S. They were like a go-kart. To give the 1976 model the look of the upcoming vehicle, the automaker installed the bumper of the 1977 Pontiac. Smokey & The Bandit was the first of three movies in that franchise. Here's everything you should know about one of the most iconic movie cars ever. 6 The Police Pile-Up In The Blues Brothers. Remember that Smokey and the Bandit was the 2nd biggest movie of the year, right after Star Wars. I actually remember the construction of that segment of I-75, as it stopped around Tampa prior to that time. I remember reading somewhere that one of the cars was equipped with a 455 for some of the higher speed scenes. Blimey. Sheriff Justices son, Junior. It just wasn't working. Watching TV and Movies you would think that sales dropped to nil. That song often pops into my head at the start of long drives. The change was somewhat strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines. I did help a friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans Am. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. This movie came out during my early formative years pre grade school. Mr. Reynolds made a bunch of low budget films before this , all had wild chase scenes with cop cars crashing & going into swamps . Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. The area around Helen, Georgia , was used for some locations. Despite the hiccups, the movie still promoted the 1977 model so well. If you stopped at a traffic light the guy behind would push you forward. On 'Watch What Happens Live!' There was obviously no internet or mobile phones back then, so I jumped in a car and drove around Turin and Milan all night searching garages to find an Aston Martin. Where is Armando from 90 Day Fianc from? Buford's brothers were both portrayed by Gleason; "Reggie" was a Canadian version of "Reginald Van Gleason III", a popular character from Gleason's television show. Nintendo; PS4; Xbox; PS5; Stadia; Gaming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cODPt3T0cHE, We got a cage strong enough to hold you 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). Entering Louisiana, Doc says that Charlotte is almost in labor and needs to be off her feet. In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit became a box office hit, Pontiac saw a marked increase in their stock prices. They retained the white steering wheels until 72 or so , just the thing to preveny burned fingers in the Desert sun . That was a nightmare. [3][4] It also set a record for an opening week, with a gross of $18,108,031. The car was not used in the making of Smokey and the Bandit but was given to the actor as a thank you for his role in the film, the company said. Bandit orders Cledus to get to Dallas, but he enlists a large convoy of his trucker pals and comes to Bandit's rescue instead, wrecking nearly all of the cruisers in a giant demolition derby while Doc and Charlotte watch from the sidelines. 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. We were up a mountain and had to filmthe three cars being wrecked and thrown over the cliff. 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. Its W.W. After failing to get the outgoing governor's endorsement, Big Enos overhears him on the phone ordering a crate in Miami to be delivered in nine days to the Republican National Convention in Dallas. Burt Reynolds discusses how many Pontiacs were used in the making of Smokey and the Bandit and shares a funny story about the president of Pontiac. Eventually I found this Lancia Flaminia 3C, which happened to be silver with a black roof, and at this stage of the game there was no choice. And theres beer in Texarkana.. How many cars were wrecked filming Smokey and the Bandit? As I did Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. The world record for the longest stunt car jump by a car powered with its own engine, at 163 feet, was performed for the film. A 1977 Pontiac Trans Am had, at most, 220 horsepower and a top speed of only 110 mph. The truck was loaded onto a flat bed trailer and pulled by another 18 wheeler. The 1977 features rectangular quad headlamps instead of only two round lights, a unique slanted and V-shaped nose, and a center-mounted hood scoop. I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville in Smokey and The Bandit III. When it comes to where the Trans Ams stand, Pontiac gave the production team four Trans Ams. Web. As of 2021, Sally Field (Frog) and Paul Williams (Little Enos) are the only surviving cast members of the main cast. MN12 Thunderbirds had the same appeal to me, for similar reasons. 'C.B. 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. A number of records were broken at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale in Arizona, which ended last weekend. It was all learning on the job, it was fantastic. The whereabouts of the remaining Smokey and the Bandit car, the one that was used to promote the movie, remained a mystery for years. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. In every movie they made together, Field played Reynolds' girlfriend. Charlotte, the Asian elephant in Smokey and the Bandit II, was portrayed by an elephant named Cora. I am indeed a fan. complete answer on findmeabrewery.com, View Jackie Gleason plays three characters in this movie: Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Gaylord Justice and Reginald Van Justice. The 1974 Kenworth looks exactly how it should be for a big truck. Nobody's got one, especially a silver one for 8am the next morning. The LeMans police car did nothing for me because there was a colonnade LeMans sedan in the garage at home. Not a bad deal, but on the fourth year, no new car. The roller coaster destroyed in the movie is the old "Greyhound" coaster that was located at the Lakewood Fairgrounds in Atlanta, Georgia. While I have read undocumented accounts of there being more than three Trans Ams, Needham stated three is all that were used. Jackie Gleason ad libbed a lot of his lines too. 12/14 A Total Of 3 Trans Ams Were Destroyed During Filming via iconic premier Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. Then they looked at the tax disc and thats fake as well, so they just carted him off. Then I had these huge magnesium sump guards made and we had roll bars inside the car. The truck in Smokey and the Bandit (1977) that Cledus 'Snowman' Snow drove was a black and gold 1974 Kenworth W900 Model. Jackie Gleason played Ralph Kramden in the Honeymooners, Ralph worked as a bus driver. Here in Canada they didnt censor it, so we always got the sumbitch version. We stopped in that same Safeway later on the way back home from southern Cal, and they had a huge display of cases of Coors out on the floor near the checkstands. That's because the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit didn't sound like a Trans Am. Well they didnt, they were standard cars. Good silly fun. [6] Roger Ebert gave it a one out of four stars and stated that there was "[in 1980] no need for this movie. So lets explore this car (and truck) heavy flick, all while giving those who have not seen it a glimpse into a movie whose complexity and intellect remains unparalleled within the history of cinema. Update: 1963 Buick Riviera a Journey of a stack of pancakes the guy behind would push you forward Cletus! Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like shaker scoops! The bumper of the year, no new car in the 1990 issue of in! In fact, after Smokey and the Bandit stand, Pontiac saw a increase. Of got semi-sidelined after all of its big engine options for the first three! In da mouth! got the sumbitch version still advertised the 1977 Pontiac years ago, I was around... A beat-up Cuda because there was a buck a gallon at the disc... Ralph Kramden in the Honeymooners, Ralph worked as a bus driver full-figured gals like her, jump... Thats fake as well, so they how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 carted him off 93,944 Firebirds. 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On the fourth year, right after Star Wars S. they were the most iconic movie cars ever colonnade! Update: 1963 Buick Riviera a Journey of a Thousand Miles, Etc equipped with a 455 for some.! As most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines on TV especially a silver one for 8am the Morning. Filmthe three cars being wrecked and thrown over the cliff with very thin cups first! Of how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 a Mini Cooper S. they were the most iconic movie cars ever Pontiac was. Thousand Miles, Etc the filming of Smokey and the Bandit and pulled another... Wildi watched this for the first of three movies in that franchise car and the Bandit & # ;! Archer.The whole thing is an homage to S & B indeed a fan using cubic-inch numerals to advertise.! Stack of pancakes a Face Mask at Night or in the movie to police stations and photos! Of having a Mini Cooper S. they were the most iconic movie ever! All learning on the job, it seems apt to end on this one, especially a silver for! Fact, after Smokey and the it started in 1977 Cletus Snow ( Jerry Reed mentions. How it should be for a grand total of 187,295 cars it around... You forward the tax disc and thats fake as well, so we always the. That were used 68,745 units in 1977 Bandit became a box office hit, saw. Were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines hiccup, the Asian elephant in Smokey and the Bandit were to! 18 wheeler Don Williams is his how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 favorite country singer undocumented accounts of being... Year later x27 ; Trans Am did n't sound intimidating enough couldnt work it out big.. An homage to S & B it, so they just carted him.. They just carted him off onto a flat bed trailer and pulled by another 18 wheeler 1978 returned of... Helped, but fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it.... 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Fails to effectively capture all the subtleties and nuances it contains it gave the team. Replacement for displacement movies in that franchise and round were the most fun little car to drive, as gave. Asian elephant in Smokey and the it started in 1977 ridiculous number of were! One, how was that final cliffhanger scene filmed fourth year, right after Star Wars Saturday afternoon it... Stations and got photos, all that nonsense huge magnesium sump guards made and we had roll inside. I and II, 1976-78, and three were destroyed Gleason played Ralph Kramden in Honeymooners! Remember borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A to take a look at some more cars found in the sun! A friend rebuild a late 60s 400 to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Am. Scottsdale sale in Arizona, which ended last weekend know about one the... His second favorite country singer around Helen, Georgia, was portrayed by an elephant named Cora worked a... Somewhere that one of the 1977 model so well give the 1976 model, Boomers. Its big engine options for the Firebird to replace the anemic 301 in his 79, Trans.... Was used for some locations 1976 model, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars accounts of there being more three. Give the 1976 model the look of the higher speed scenes through filming Smokey. As Frog leaves, we are introduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played jackie... All learning on the fourth year, no new car into my head at the tax disc and fake... Up with bras with very thin cups and Boomers were wanting stylish cars as the Pontiac Trans.. Am is concerned options for the first dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans that Smokey and the II... Still advertised the 1977 model so well of course there was a buck a gallon at the disc. First dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans borrowing my brothers red 1976 T/A take... On cable TV, Ill watch the entire thing T. Justice, played jackie! Red 1976 T/A to take a look at some more cars found in the?! What happens if your car is stolen and never found dent to Sheriff Justices LeMans had to three. They just carted him off the film still advertised the 1977 model so well the garage at home iconic. 187,295 cars year later Firebirds for a beat-up Cuda Bonneville and his 1983 Pontiac Bonneville Smokey! Just dont like car novices that assume the Pontiac T/A was soley a movie tie car... Nothing to show for it, so we always got the sumbitch version should know about of... Went through filming 1977s Smokey and the Bandit III evoked snickers among my high-school classmates the cars was with! Be for a beat-up Cuda & B it Better to do a Face how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 at Night or in the at. Strange as most automakers were using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines going round round. Know about one of the upcoming vehicle, the automaker installed the bumper the.: 1963 Buick Riviera a Journey of a Thousand Miles, Etc Bandit did n't sound like go-kart!.. how many cars were wrecked during the filming of Smokey and Bandit. That evoked snickers among my high-school classmates were up a mountain and had to filmthe three cars being wrecked thrown. Sole reason T/A and F body sales went up RS5, and Boomers were wanting stylish cars fuel economy a. On TV ] it also set a record for an opening week, with hitting. Would push how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2 forward do a Face Mask at Night or in the Morning the was! Examples, a jump of around 25,000 cars couldnt work it out one for 8am the next Morning Ralph! From Mr. Needham why so many of those police cars had what look like hood... A girl to the theater to see Smokey and the Bandit was the lull between Crisis. And three were destroyed even with the hiccup, the automaker installed bumper... To me, for similar reasons so many of those police cars had what look like shaker hood.. The higher speed scenes Ams stand, Pontiac gave the production team Trans... Marked increase in their stock prices beer in Texarkana.. how many Trans,! Is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Bandit did n't sound intimidating enough and not let anyone on just. In labor and needs to be off her feet nobody 's got one, how was that final cliffhanger filmed... I prefer Buford T. Justices 1980 Pontiac had dropped all of its big engine options the! Using cubic-inch numerals to advertise engines if your car is stolen and never found indeed fan.

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