Burt Reynolds to drive his own Bandit Trans Am onto Barrett-Jackson auction stage

The man with what seems to be an endless store of Pontiac Firebird Trans Ams modeled like the one in the 1977 hit movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” Burt Reynolds, the Bandit himself, will be present for the auction of a 1978 example at the upcoming Barrett Jackson event in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This will be Reynolds’ fourth Bandit-style Trans Am going under the hammer in recent years. The phenomenon kicked off in 2014 when an original “Smokey and the Bandit” promo car sold for $450,000. It was followed a year later by the sale of a “tribute” car owned by Reynolds for only a year for $170,000. And finally in 2016 the actor brought out another movie promo car that ended up fetching $550,000.

The latest car, though not linked with the movie, is a very special example. It has been fully restored by Restore a Muscle Car of Lincoln, Nebraska and is powered by a Butler Performance V-8 displacing 8.2 liters and delivering over 600 horsepower. It also has a shaker hood, 18-inch snowflake-pattern wheels, and a custom leather interior. The car is also littered with Reynolds’ signature.

To help ensure the bidding is intense, Reynolds will be present at the auction. He’ll even drive the car up on stage and meet with the winning bidder.

The car has been assigned lot number 1401 for the auction which runs from January 14-22, 2017.