TV (and movie) cars are often remembered more fondly – and for longer – than the actors who drove them in those shows (and movies). The black and gold Trans-Am that Burt Reynolds drove in The Smokey & The Bandit movies.
And the gold Firebird that James Garner – anyone remember? – drove in The Rockford Files, which was a ’70s TV show about a poverty stricken private investigator who couldn’t afford a Trans Am like the one Burt Reynolds drove.
The Trans-Am being the fanciest and most expensive iteration of the Firebird, kind of like the way a Mustang GT is the fanciest and most expensive iteration of the Mustang. But there was an interesting difference as regards the Firebird of the ’70s – and also the Mustang of the ’80s and early ’90s.
The Firebird was available with most of the hardware that made the Trans-Am speedy as well as fancy and expensive – without the added expense of the fancy stuff. You could skip the upgraded interior that came with the Trans-Am, as well as the exterior add-ons that made a Trans-Am look like a Trans-Am, such as the rear ducktail spoiler, the fender spats and vents and most of all, the Trans-Am’s hood, which had a hole in it to allow the famous “shaker” scoop that sat on top of the engine to poke through it.
(As an aside: Is it not strange that the Bandit chose a gaudy black and gold Trans-Am to run “blocker” for his high-speed beer run to Texarkana? He probably would have run under the radar better with a more subtle-looking Formula.)
Trans-Ams also came standard with larger wheels (alloy wheels became optional beginning in 1977; something only the Corvette and a handful of other cars of the era offered) and most were optioned out with such amenities as AC and even power windows, locks and electric rear defrost, too. 
These features can be nice to have but they also fluff up the price and that’s a tough sell when you’re an impoverished private investigator like Jim Rockford. Or if you’re like James Garner – the actor who played Rockford and who was in real life a serious driver – and you want something discreet that drives like a Trans-Am but doesn’t look like it can.
That’s where the Firebird Formula came in. It was a Firebird that didn’t come standard with the hardware – or the visual affectations – that made a Tran-Am the speediest iteration of the Firebird as well as the iteration of the Firebird everyone knew was speedy, just by looking at it. But you could order it with the hardware that made a Trans-Am speedy and end up with a Firebird that was – functionally speaking – a Trans-Am but didn’t look like it was.
For example, you could order a Formula Firebird with the same engine that came in the Trans-Am along with the same rest of the drivetrain. You could also option the car with the same heavy-duty suspension as well as the larger wheels/tires that came standard with the Trans-Am. You could even order the Trans-Am’s optional aluminum wheels, if you wanted (and could afford) them, along with the same Rally gauge cluster that came standard int he Trans-Am that included a tachometer, oil pressure and water temperature gauges and even the Trans-Am’s three-spoke Formula steering wheel, too.
But the point is you did not have to buy anything except the go-faster hardware, if that was all you wanted. If what you wanted was to go fast without looking like that’s what you were up to. That’s how Rockford kept a low profile – and kept his car payments manageable.
Ford did the same in the ’80s and into the ’90s with the Mustang, which was available with most of the GT’s hardware but without the GT’s visual affectations and for a lower price. The Mustang LX 5.0 was equipped with the same 5.0 liter V8 that came with the GT as well as most of the GT’s related performance equipment. It wasn’t as fancy – but it was faster because it was lighter (because it didn’t have all the extras that came standard in the GT) as well as cheaper.
The LX 5.0 of the ’80s and ’90s was even more low-profile than the Formula Firebird of the ’70s, because it looked almost exactly like a base (and four cylinder powered) Mustang secretary’s car. The only giveaways – and they weren’t obvious except to those who were hip – were the “5.0” badges on the front fenders, the suspiciously large dual exhaust tips and the larger (and aluminum) wheels that did not come standard with base, four cylinder-powered Mustangs.
The Firebird Formula was a little more obvious in that most came with a twin-scooped hood and many were optioned with the Trans-Am’s rear ducktail spoiler. Rockford’s Firebird was more discreet, in keeping with the show’s theme. A private investigator doesn’t want to be noticed when he’s following someone – and it’s easy to notice a car with twin hood scoops when you see it in the rearview or parked across the street with some dude watching you and taking pics with his Polaroid.
So – for the show – Garner had the Formula’s giveaway hood removed and replaced with a standard Firebird Esprit (base trim) hood that had no scoops. The car had whitewall tires and looked like nothing you’d take a second look at. But it had the V8 that Rockford needed to keep up with the target and the handling hardware Garner needed to do those famous stunts with.
You can’t just buy the speedy car hardware anymore. You have to buy the speedy car – assuming you can afford it. Not that many can – which has reduced the number of speedy cars that are sold each year.
Someone at one of the car companies might give that some thought. It might occur to them that they could sell more speedy cars – even if for less, per car – and end up making more money that way.
As it was, back in the day.
Good for them – and also good for us!
. . .
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Yeah, I was a huge fan of the Rockford Files! I watched it all the time. Not sure if I saw every single episode, but I bet that I watched most of ’em! Back then, I didn’t think anything about his car. Well, I also didn’t know much about cars back then either.
Anyway, the gauge cluster reminded me of a thing that’s also long gone. That is driving a machine that doesn’t try to “talk” to you. Gauges were perfect to get the critical status of the machine at a glance. No didn’t even have to know English or any other language.
Couple ticks and a red swath on the gauge. Maybe stylized ticks to be fancy or a logo underneath it and that was it! Now there’s a fucken LCD monitor that wants to talk to me; like in sentences! Fuck you car! Shut up, stop trying to talk to me, and do what I say!
Could you image, Jim Rockford trying to keep up with the bad guys when the car is trying to make him drive like an old lady? Or even trying to talk to him?
Even the USS Enterprise or the Millenium Falcon, didn’t speak unless spoken to! Remember the great sounds coming from Mr. Spock’s or Chekov’s console? whip-whip-whip, sweep, sweep, dong-di-dong…
That was the future, way back before the safety cult took over.
The first vehicle I purchased new was a 1979 Firebird Formula, dark blue with grey lower striping. Couldn’t afford the bigger engine and settled for the 301 4-barrel V8.
I miss the era of cars being “characters” in movies and tv shows. My folks still regularly watch Rockford reruns. When I was a kid, Dukes of Hazard was on TV in its first run. I often watched it with my late grandma who probably liked the show as much as I did! Just before Dukes reruns went off the air a few years back due to wokeness, I caught a number of episodes and they were the way I had remembered them! It was corny, but great fun to watch! It wasn’t just the Duke boy’s orange Charger, it also starred Boss Hoggs Caddy, Uncle Jesse’s Ford pickup, Daisy’s Roadrunner and later the Jeep, Cooters tow truck and Rosco’s and the deputie’s string of wrecked Monaco’s.
On the subject of not being able to option a car the way you want to: With computers, it should be easier than ever for the automakers to let people order exactly what they want. They are simply lazy now a days, it’s like Henry Ford came back and said you can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.
Thanks for the memories, Eric.
My favorite TV show when I was coming of age.
Without Rockford, I never would’ve learned how to reverse-180 my ’67 Beetle (in snow).
Good times…
Great article Eric,
Speaking of old movies, how about the original The Italian Job (the later one is good too) starring Mini Coopers for the getaway
My wife had a 78 Firebird Formula when I first started dating her. It was the same color as the Rockford car. It had the 350. Nice car – wish we still had it!
Smokey and the Bandit depicted a time that will never happen again. The lackadaisical concern about Law Enforcement and especially just having fun. Most Americans today have zero humor and way too interested in their hurt feelings. None of those shows today would make a nickel at the box office. Dull, meaningless, boring, crap shows are all the rage today. Same for the cars made today.
The two “Smokey and the Bandit” movies came out during the era of the nationwide 55 mph speed limit. Folks obviously chafed at it, the beginnings of the Nanny State. Hence why a Formula Firebird or a T/A with the “screaming thunderchicken”, even though their smogged-down engines were pathetic compared to their glory days, found instant appeal. Back when Sally Field was still attractive and not a scold as a “seat cover”. The use of CBs, a pre-cursor to today’s “sail fawns”, to get around traffic jams and evade “Smokey” or even just some “County Mountie”.
Nailed it Eric. As usual. That’s the car I wanted, not the flashy one.
I never could afford either of them anyway, but when I started working for living and lived on the road (when it was 55mph, argghhhhhh), I learned pretty fast that I needed a non-looker but go fast car. Plus they had to be bigger if you lived in them.
I ended up with Pontiac Bonneville’s and Buick Park Ave’s. You could get the darn good 3.8 supercharged in the Buick, was called the Ultra, but very unassuming (old man’s car). I was in my late 20’s and early 30’s. My friends laughed at me, didn’t care. Granted the FWD part sucked, but I could skate by almost all cops at speed and not get a look. Worked for me.
Still does, I typically still drive mid-trim-level vehicles that you can get the larger engines in. Helps to have a ‘family’ State trooper card just in case.
Speaking of TV detectives and their cars, I liked Frank Cannon hauling his ass with class in the Lincoln Continental; can’t recall the actor’s name though, anyone here remember?
Hi Mike,
It was William Conrad and he was actually a Navy fighter pilot in real life.
William Conrad
Fat guy driving a huge “Linkum”…didn’t get any better than that!
Sleepers are all but dead.
As recently noted in this column, the recently deceased V6 Camry would have qualified.
About the last new one you can buy – for a “measly” $42k – would be a 5.0 Coyote F-150 in the regular cab, shortbed, 2wd configuration.
Gonna have the Rockford Files song in my head now, thanks Eric! Ha ha.
James Rockford’s Firechicken.
The Duke Boys’ General Lee.
Bandit’s Trans Am.
Starsky & Hutch’s Gran Torino
Those were the days…
You forgot Jamie Sommers Z.
And Carl Kolchak’s ’65 Mustang.
As a matter of fact, even the base V6 variants of today’s Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers are all butched up.
The V6 hasn’t been available in the Mustang for … 10 years … ?
I drove a two-ton IH truck that had a steel flatbed with a 1/2 inch steel cable winch behind the cab. 100 feet of steel cable will come in handy at times.
You place a snatch at the top of the church steeple to lower the 1500 pound 42 inch church bell to the ground and onto the flatbed. Takes a mind and some time.
Too be young again to do the stupid things you did do. You could get some stuff done.
Tore down a small grain bin all by myself when I weighed 150 pounds and was nimble as Jack.
Don’t forget the Barracuda.
Plymouth is still a word.
To be young again…
I make typos, which proves I am a living human being..
@Eric – The lead character in Australia Broadcasting’s new “Return to Paradise” series has a beautiful vintage Moke in the pilot, which is even featured in the trailer for the series.
I’m wondering if that is product placement for the modern EV version. The one in the series clearly has an IC engine, however. At one point, the lead has to take a wrench to the carburetor to get the vehicle running after sitting in the garage for an unspecified amount of time.
An EPA administrator’s worst nightmare!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuqtRc0y_hk
Wanting a speedy car is one thing but if it comes full of nanny tech do you really want it? Cars should be fun to drive but GovCo wants safe and controlling, so what do you think they’ll let you buy?
That esthetic, the sleeper, was a common theme in the 1970s. Unassuming looking homes, cars, shopping at Sears… keeping your wealth hidden was fashionable. Don’t brag about it, don’t show off. That behavior is for the Studio-54 crowd.
Disco sucks!
Even the iconic film of my generation, Star Wars, featured a sleeper of a YT-1300 Corellian light freighter. From the Wikipedia:
Described as being one of the fastest vessels in the Star Wars canon, the Falcon looks worn-out but despite its humble origins and shabby exterior, the Millennium Falcon has played a critical role in some of the greatest victories of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic.
Reagan changed all that. Actually, more like Nancy changed all that. Her bright red dress and expensive tastes told middle America they were expected to dress for dinner. Certainly Trump’s look came out of that ’80s fashion shift. Suddenly everyone was drinking coffee and listening to Manhattan Transfer (or was it cocaine and Van Halen?). Rockford was retired and replaced with Magnum. And the sleeper Firebird was swapped for a Ferrari.
“Someone at one of the car companies might give that some thought. It might occur to them that they could sell more speedy cars – even if for less, per car – and end up making more money that way.
As it was, back in the day.”
I think RK nailed it. Tings’ ain’t what they used to be.
Today’s mindset is conspicuous consumption.
Gotta have the latest phone device at $1000+ a pop. Gotta have the right brand of handbag for the ladies. Lots of men driving expensive Big Foot wannabe trucks despite the fact they can’t even change the oil or check tire pressures correctly.
Gotta’ have a vehicle that is loaded. People’s abysmal driving skills makes them a menace at highway speed. Can barely keep it in the lane at 70. Thus FSD, lane keep assist, ACC cruise, etc. Truck bro’s can’t park their 3500 without taking up two, sometimes three parking spaces and the lazy bastards refuse to park further out in the parking lot. Too far to waddle to the building door and get on their motorized shopping trolley.
True, that –
I was thinking the same yesterday as I began wrasslin’ with my truck’s heater core. How many guys in their 20s would bother with it? Probably not many. I guess I’m a guy in my 50s who thinks as I did when I was in my 20s!
The mindset never goes away. But things like arthritis mean that the heater core in my work beater 03 Civic will have to wait until a warm dry day. Since my strategy is to maintain several beaters I have that option, a defense in depth as it were. But by the time 4-5 months of winter end I usually am getting down to limited options. I’ll really miss the 38mpg of the Civic until then though.
You likely were taught, mostly by EXAMPLE, the concepts of improvisation and SELF-RELIANCE. How many kids today would spend a Saturday afternoon replacing a leaky heater core? Why, they’d have to put down the PS5 controller! Where’s Dad…out on his boat with his g/f, while Mom and her “knee-grow” lover lock themselves in the bedroom, letting the Playstation handle the “parenting”. Sad.
Go slow if plastic isn’t warmed up. You can do it. Do not give up. Were all rootin for ya. Victory and dry heat WILL BE.
Hang with it Eric.
The coolest man I ever met in my life was 91. Still worked in his wood shop a couple times a day with work periods interrupted by the need for a nap.
Sharp as a whip mentally. Told me he felt 18 mentally but didn’t recognize his body and was disappointed it wasn’t holding up its end of the deal.
I’m on it, BID!
“This” close to getting the blankety-blank heater box out…
At least there was an episode of Magnum where he was in a car chase with a Pontiac GTO, and made a point that the 80s Ferrari couldn’t catch him.
Eric even made a point about that Ferrari 308 in an article a few years back. It is about the slowest Ferrari ever made.
https://www.ericpetersautos.com/2017/02/21/old-muscle-cars-ruled-new-cars-sucked/
Eric’s comment “Remember Magnum, PI’s Ferrari 308? They had to launch it on grass to get the rear wheels to spin.”
‘his high-speed beer run to Texarkana’ — eric
Thought it was a high-speed beer run from Texarkana … to Atlanta.
Which is weird, because Texarkana, Texas was dry (no alcohol sales) till 2014. Its twin city, Texarkana, Arkansas, allowed alcohol sales to those over 21, but had no Coors on offer back then.
Nightclubs in Bossier City, Louisiana, which then had a drinking age of 18, did a roaring business with the 18 to 21 crowd.
This lost era was blown away by Senator Frank ‘Gun Grabber’ Lautenberg, whose ‘blood borders’ campaign (focused on NJ teens partying in New York for similar reasons) imposed a nationwide 21-year-old drinking age.
So much for state sovereignty. Still makes me shudder that I shook that asshole’s hand at Hoboken train station one Election Day, instead of giving him a good dose of disdain.
The bet driving the story in “Smokey and the Bandit” was the truck making round trip from Atlanta to Texarkana and back in less than 28 hours, hauling a load of contraband Coors on the return run.
The challenge was not trivial given the (then) new 55 MPH speed limit, lack of direct freeway route, and overzealous law enforcement practices in The South at the time.
Even now, that would be a challenge, but Coors is not a bootlegging problem anymore.
It’s always a J-O-O that ruins things. Where’s Der Fuhrer when you actually NEED him?