Posted on August 26, 2022 at 10:07 AM by Blog Committee
Smokey and the Bandit (Universal Studios, 1977) sparked an interest in trucking careers and the trucking industry for many people. Don Hummer’s Hummer Heritage Collection honors the history of trucking with four unique trucks based on films, so a paint scheme based on Smokey and the Bandit was an obvious choice.
The action comedy film was released in May 1977 and starred Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, and Jackie Gleason. It follows truck drivers Bo ‘Bandit’ Darville and his partner Cledus ‘Snowman’ Snow as they attempt to bootleg 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. The movie follows their 28-hour journey to make the delivery while evading the police.
Smokey and the Bandit features two iconic vehicles: a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and a 1974 Kenworth W900A tractor. Bandit drives the Pontiac Trans Am to distract the police while his partner Snowman drives the Kenworth tractor-trailer carrying the illegal beer.
The tractor used in the film was a 1974 Kenworth W900A, a model that marked a significant change in how tractors were designed for drivers. Kenworth debuted its W9000 series in 1961, and the two main differences between the models were a wider hood and larger engines. These trucks were known for a smoother ride, likely aided by their leather-padded interiors. Unique paint jobs could be ordered and produced by Kenworth.
Three Kenworth tractors were used in the movie; two 1974 models, and one 1973 model, a 50th-anniversary edition indicated by a gold emblem. The location and fate of these three trucks are currently unknown.
Check out these additional fun facts about the film!
- There were a total of three movies in the Smokey and the Bandit series, but the initial premier of the movie at Radio City Music Hall in New York City was a bust. It took several months after premiering before it reached widespread success.
- The song ‘East Bound and Down’ was written and performed by Jerry Reed, who played Cledus ‘Snowman’ Snow in the movie.
- Sales of the Pontiac Trans Am nearly doubled after the film’s release, and Reynolds sold the Pontiac Trans Am that appeared in the movie in 2014 for $450,000.
- Sally Field received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Smokey and the Bandit.
- Sally Field and Burt Reynolds met on set, leading to an off-screen romance.
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