The 1977 Pontiac Trans Am owned by Burt Reynolds and part of the iconic “Smokey and the Bandit” movie sold for $450,000 at auction last week.
The auction also featured other items from Reynolds’ career, such as the jacket he wore in “Smokey,” which pulled in $34,000, and his Top Box Office Star of the Year award, which sold for $5,312.
"Burt Reynolds is a legend who is loved all over the world. 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,"
a spokesperson for Julien Auctions told WENN.
Reynolds’ Golden Globe and Emmy awards also sold, for $21,250 and $28,125, WENN said.
USA Today said the Trans Am sale price was a "pretty penny" considering it was not a car actually used in the film, but was a promotional vehicle.
The car was only expected to bring $60,000 to $80,000, USA Today said.
"I've collected so many things that I truly adore but at this stage of my life I find it very difficult to manage them all," Reynolds said in an auction statement.
Initial rumors said Reynolds was auctioning the items to help with finances.
Calling
Reynolds a “box office king and sex symbol in the 1970s and 80s,” the New York Daily News said bad investments and a divorce from Loni Anderson forced him into bankruptcy in 1996. The bankruptcy case closed in 2007, and in 2011 a foreclosure action was filed against his Florida home. He’s been trying to sell the property for $8 million since 2009.
Grantland reported from the auction, pointing out lesser-known but unique items like Reynolds’ old Rolodex, open to Elizabeth Taylor’s name, that were for sale.