Smokey and the Bandit episodes of the series. Needham saw an advertisement for the soon-to-be-released 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and knew right away that would be the Bandit's car, or, as Needham referred to it, a character in the movie. He contacted Pontiac and an agreement was made that four 1977 Trans Ams and two Pontiac LeMans 4-door sedans would be provided for the movie. The Trans Ams were actually 1976-model cars with 1977 front ends. (From 1970 to 1976, both the Firebird/Trans Am and Chevrolet Camaro had two round headlights, and in 1977, the Firebird/Trans Am was changed to four rectangular headlights, while
Smokey and the Bandit II in a triple role. Justice lures the Bandit into a valley, with a line of Mounties (in red police cars) on one hillside, Texas Rangers, in white cars, on the other. Bandit orders Cledus to continue delivering Charlotte to Dallas. Cledus returns with a convoy of trucks to help destroy all of the police cars. After the mass destruction, only Buford, Gaylord, and Reginald come out relatively unscathed. Bandit and Cledus escape by driving across a bridge of tractor trailers. As the Justices follow, a trailer pulls out, resulting in their cars being destroyed. Buford's car is still operable, though