Some cars become famous because of what happens on the racetrack.

Others become famous because of what happens on the movie screen.

The 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am managed to become an icon simply by looking like nothing else on the road.

With its aggressive front end, massive hood decal, shaker scoop and unmistakable stance, the Trans Am became one of the defining automobiles of the 1970s. And when a black-and-gold version appeared alongside Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit, its place in automotive history was secured forever.

The Trans Am story began years earlier as the performance-oriented version of Pontiac's Firebird. By 1977, however, the car had developed an identity entirely its own.

Pontiac redesigned the Firebird's front end for the model year, giving it four rectangular headlights surrounded by a distinctive split grille. The result was menacing, futuristic and immediately recognizable.

Then there was the famous "Screaming Chicken."

That's the nickname enthusiasts gave the enormous Firebird graphic stretched across the Trans Am's hood. Subtle it wasn't, but subtlety wasn't exactly the point of owning a Trans Am.

Buyers could choose from several engines, with Pontiac's 400-cubic-inch V8 serving as the performance option many enthusiasts wanted. The available W72 performance package increased output to around 200 horsepower.

Compared with the massive horsepower figures of the late 1960s, that might sound modest. But the automotive world had changed dramatically.

Emissions regulations, rising insurance costs and the aftermath of the fuel crisis had devastated the muscle-car market. Many famous performance models had disappeared entirely.

Pontiac refused to give up.

The Trans Am kept the spirit of the muscle car alive when few other manufacturers were willing to do the same.

Performance wasn't just about the engine, either. The Trans Am featured upgraded suspension components, wider tires and handling improvements that helped it feel more athletic than many traditional muscle cars.

Then Hollywood called.

The 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit featured Burt Reynolds driving a black Trans Am with gold accents while attempting to stay ahead of Sheriff Buford T. Justice. The movie became a massive success, and the Trans Am became one of the most recognizable movie cars ever created.

Suddenly, seemingly everyone wanted a black-and-gold Firebird.

Pontiac dealerships benefited enormously from the exposure, and Trans Am sales exploded in the years that followed.

Inside, the car was just as unmistakably 1970s. A machine-turned dashboard, deeply recessed gauges, bucket seats and available center console created a cockpit-like environment. The optional T-top roof panels allowed drivers to open the cabin to the sky, making the Trans Am a perfect machine for summer-night cruising.

Today, the 1977 Trans Am has become highly collectible, particularly examples finished in the famous black-and-gold combination. Original cars with desirable engines and options continue to attract attention at auctions and car shows across the country.

But the Trans Am's appeal isn't simply about horsepower or collector value.

It represents an era.

CB radios, bell-bottom jeans, drive-in restaurants, rock music and long stretches of American highway all seem perfectly at home alongside a black Trans Am.

Nearly 50 years later, the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am still has the ability to make people stop and stare.

Maybe it's the shaker hood or the giant Firebird. Or maybe everyone who sees one still expects Burt Reynolds to be behind the wheel.

Whatever the reason, few cars have ever made being rebellious look quite this good. ■