A Rare Piece Of History Auctioned, Burt Reynolds’ 1978 Pontiac Firebird Formula

A rare piece of history to the right kind of enthusiasts, a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Formula acquired in 2016 by the late actor, Burt Reynolds, is up for sale. 

Said ’78 Firebird has undergone some major modifications, as Reynolds had it completely redone to a modern take on the classic movie, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ Trans Am specification.

Akin to the classic, the car is finished in black and gold, along with gold graphics adorning the surroundings of its exterior. Notably, the vinyl stickers on the front and rear windshield.

Other equipment includes a Shaker hood, fog lights, vented fenders, a rear CB antenna, a rear spoiler and dual exhaust outlets.

Completing the outlook, it rides on a set of RAMC 18-inch snowflake-style wheels with gold accents, wrapped in Nitto NT555R tires. 

Speaking of which, the rear wheel wells are fitted with Detroit Speed mini-tubs, QA1 coil-over suspensions, Wilwood brake calipers and drilled slotted rotors all around.

Under the hood, the ’78 Pontiac Firebird Formula harbors an 8.2-liter V8 engine, which was built by Butler Performance.

It features aluminum cylinder heads, FAST fuel injection, an aluminum radiator with electric fans, March pulleys, ceramic-coated headers and a custom exhaust system with Spintec mufflers.

Then, mated to the mill is a Tremec five-speed manual transmission with a Hurst Line-Lock that sends all power to the rear wheels.

Inside, the cabin harmonizes with the overall theme. It is trimmed in black and gold leather with matching dash, door panels and carpets.

Plus, it also has front bucket seats with gold inserts and piping, a Hurst shifter, air conditioning, a Cobra CB radio, a Pioneer CD player and JL Audio speakers.

Interestingly, Burt Reynolds’ signature is also present on the glove box, and yes it was signed in gold to match the car.

Elsewhere, the AutoMeter instrumentation includes a 10,000-rpm tachometer, a 160-mph (257 km/h) speedometer, and readouts for fuel level, oil pressure and coolant temperature.

That said, Reynolds’ Firebird is listed up on bringatrailer.com, and upon writing this, the current bid is at USD 101,777 (RM 446,394). All bidding ends on June 9, 2022.