Burt Reynolds’ 1977 Pontiac Trans Am might not have actually appeared in Smokey and the Bandit, but the car was still the most expensive item at an auction of the actor’s memorabilia in Las Vegas this weekend.
The Trans Am sold for a whipping $450,000, far above the $80,000 it was predicted to sell for. Even though the car never actually appeared in the 1977 film that launched Reynolds to stardom, it does have some connection to the movie. According to Autoblog, Reynolds was given the car after the the film’s promotion was over. It also has a plaque inside that reads, “1977 Pontiac Trans Am Owned By Burt Reynolds.”
Fox News reports that the entire auction brought in a total of $2.5 million. The auction was handled by Julien’s Auctions.
“"Burt Reynolds is a legend who is loved all over the world,” Darren Julien, the president of the auction house, said in a statement. "His collection which was full of iconic pieces of career memorabilia and personal items once again proves to be a solid investment with bidders who attended the auction from every corner of the globe this week."
It had been rumored that Reynolds is broke, which was why he was auctioning off the priceless memorabilia. However, he told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month that he’s just cleaning up.
“ I am simply selling some of my memorabilia that I have enjoyed for so many years but do not have use nor room for them anymore,” he said in a statement.
image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFGoff.com