Pontiac provided four Trans Am Firebirds for the film.  Of course the movie cars sported black paint with gold trim and featured the “Screaming Chicken” hood decal, which had been around as a factory option for Trans Ams as early as 1973.  Interestingly, the cars, which would play a central role in the movie, were not customized beyond their factory appearance.  Since the 1977 cars were still too new for the street when the movie was filmed, Pontiac actually provided the production with 1976 models modified with 1977 front clips

Fancy box art is not necessarily a requirement to make a kit a top-seller.

The film, produced by stuntman Hal Needham, was originally intended to be a low-budgeted B-movie and did not generate any big expectations for box office success.  However, Burt Reynolds, a huge star at the time, figured his brand of swagger could be tailored to fit the script and signed up for the role.  Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, and Jerry Reed starred as well, ad-libbing many of their lines in a free and loose style that pleased audiences.

The rest is history.  The Pontiac Trans Am was already selling pretty well.  The U.S. government required car manufacturers to dial back horsepower and performance for the sake of emissions and mileage regulations during the early 1970’s, but they must have forgotten to tell Pontiac.  This GM division was still shoehorning 455 CID engines with around 300 net horsepower into Trans Ams as late as 1976.  It was one of the few cars left with some guts.

As a direct result of the movie, sales of Pontiac’s Trans Am nearly doubled and black-and-gold versions of Bandit’s car could be seen everywhere on the streets within a short time.

Model manufacturer MPC did not originally release a “Smokey and the Bandit” version of their Trans Am kit.  Since the car in the movie had no customization, the folks at MPC probably reasoned that they didn’t need any movie licensing as the car would sell on sight if released in the same factory-stock color with gold trim option package as the car in the movie.  

Their Firebird kit was an annual release updated for the 1977 model year like normal.  A release available in 1978 proclaimed, “Trans Am Blackbird” on the boxtop.   MPC didn’t even work hard on the box art, simply throwing a photo of the real car on a white background.  A little circle proclaimed, “Featuring GOLD finished parts and decals.”  This packaging was not exciting at all—but it didn’t need to be.  The image of the iconic car in the right colors with the purposefully prominent Screaming Chicken hood decal was impossible to resist.

As a teenager, I can recall excitedly purchasing this kit during the summer of 1978.  I was thrilled with the gold chrome, unusual for a model kit in those days.  I recall that only the engine block needed a little light blue paint, and the rest of the model could be left in bare, black plastic.  It was fairly easy to build and came out pretty well as I recall.  I remember it being one of my very favorite models of the era.

Not many model kit companies tool up a new mold for the same car model subject in the same scale and the same paint scheme as a competitor.  This is definitely different plastic than MPC’s kit.  News Flash - this kit is apparently been re-released and can now be found in hobby stores!

MPC’s catalog in 1980 had the same model available in the same color scheme, proclaiming it “The most popular MPC kit ever made!”  This no doubt was thanks to purchasers associating the model with the movie, even though there was no mention or reference to it in the kit other than the same factory colors and graphics.  An official source from AMT proclaimed (after AMT/ERTL acquired MPC) that MPC sold seven million Monkeemobile kits.  If this is true, than the 1977 Trans Am kit would have to have sold in excess of those numbers.

 MPC’s 1977 Trans AM kit sold just fine without any references to Smokey and the Bandit.  But they released this version anyway under the AMT brand.

Around 2006, AMT (then part of Racing Champions) decided to re-release the model kit, using the same box art as the 1978 version.  One might have assumed I had matured over 25 years or so, but when I saw this new retro-kit on the shelves of my favorite hobby shop, I could not resist picking it up immediately at full MSRP.   Other than a  “Nostalgic Series” sticker on the box top, the kit appeared pretty much as I remembered it in 1978.
 
Parts fit, particularly the front clip, wasn’t the greatest and the tone of the gold parts in my kit wasn’t quite as bright as I remember in my original version.  Still, it was a nice build that I spent quite a bit more time on than the first time around.

Interestingly, AMT/Ertl also decided to release the model kit with “Smokey and the Bandit” licensing in the 2000’s.  While I found this one intriguing, it was the original 1978 box art that convinced me to part with my money enthusiastically.

Not too long after these kits were being sold, AMT/Ertl ceased operations.  Revell picked up the license and released a new 1/25-scale kit of the 1977 “Bandit” Trans Am with the famous Screaming Chicken décor.  The model was apparently based on a diecast kit according to a Revell source I queried.  I haven’t built mine yet.  I’m not sure that the doors are curved enough in cross-section compared to the MPC kit, for starters.
 
What if you want to build your own Smokey and the Bandit 1977 Pontiac Trans Am?  At time of posting, no model kit companies were selling Smokey and the Bandit kits.  You can still get previous releases of the MPC/AMT kit, but not at discount prices.  Increasing demand on a dwindling supply is pushing prices of these kits higher than comparable model cars in the hobby stores (average new car kits are about THIRTY BUCKS nowadays).

The demise of Hobbico destroyed the Revell company subsidiary in early 2018.  Revell of Germany acquired the remains, and as of late May, 2019, it appears that the Revell version, with Smokey and the Bandit box art, is back in hobby stores!!!  So it's nice to see the "new" Revell is responding to modeler's wishes for iconic movie cars such as Bandit's Trans Am.
 
Try Googling “bandit car,” and click the Images option.  This will give you an idea of the lasting effect of this movie.  It wouldn’t be surprising within a few years to see a re-release of the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am in black-and-gold Screaming Chicken guise with or without Smokey and the Bandit on the box.
 

I still have my Smokey and the Bandit soundtrack—on vinyl.