In 1977, there was a different kind of hero and sidekick that hit the silver screen. Known by millions ever since then as “Bandit” and his faithful sidekick “Snowman”, Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed took us on a fast-paced trip across half the country from Texas to Georgia to deliver a trailer full of beer for Big and Little Enos. As much as we loved Bandit, Snowman, “Frog”, and, of course, good ol’ Fred, the one star of the Smokey and the Bandit series that still catches our eyes and our thundering hearts is that black Trans Am.

The movie was released to much fanfare, and the car became as much a legend as Mr. Reynolds himself. According to Pontiac, sales of the Trans Am skyrocketed after the movie, and that famous black and gold Trans Am was one of the most iconic of all Pontiacs. Although later years saw sequels with a later car, it was still that 1977 Trans Am that maintained the appeal for just about every gearhead who saw the film.

Trans Am Depot has been known for building some killer cars on the fifth gen Camaro chassis, including a modern GTO variant. Now, with the full endorsement of the Bandit himself, Trans Am Depot is building a limited run of 77 Bandit Trans Ams, complete with Burt’s signature and

The founding brothers, Tod and Scott Warmack, have been fans of the Trans Am since the movie came out, along with their father and uncle. Tod states, “From that movie, between the four of us, we’ve probably owned close to 50 Trans Ams.” With the demise of Pontiac in 2009, and the final car coming off the production line in January 2010, it has left fans of the Trans Am without a home.

That’s where the Warmacks picked up the pieces and started Trans Am Depot in 2011, building on the legacy that the General left behind. Their team secured the rights to the Trans Am brand, and have been bringing us some of the baddest of the bad Trans Ams since then.

The Bandit Trans Am features dozens of clues from that original 1977 model: the seats, the snowflake wheels, the bold fire-breathing bird on the hood, you can’t miss it. But unlike that original Trans Am, the Bandit Trans Am delivers 840 crank horsepower. That’s more than four times the original horsepower of the ’77 model; add to that a modern suspension and all the luxuries of today’s F-body and you have a package that will bring you the same look today that you would have gotten in 1978 when you cruised in your own Bandit Trans Am.

Production is limited to 77 cars to commemorate the release of Smokey and the Bandit in 1977, so if you’re looking for an excuse to get your own black and gold Trans Am, now is the time. Check out the Trans Am Depot website for more information on this limited run, and check into their Facebook page for updates on this and other cars designed to keep the Chief alive.