1976 50th Anniversary Trans AmPorter later recalled Mitchell having a change of heart, and Schinella designed the black-and-gold color scheme that Pontiac put into use in 1976. That was the version used on the 1976 50th Anniversary Edition Trans Am, and the black-and-gold color scheme carried over to the 1977 model that Burt Reynolds drove in "Smokey and the Bandit."The 1976 logo was 45.5 inches wide and 44.5 inches long. The Trans Am 50th Anniversary edition's bird logo was a bit larger than previous versions, and the celebratory model can be identified by the paint codes 19L and 19U on the cowl tag. The gold paint was likely a nod to the fact that this was the "golden" anniversary of the Pontiac brand, as the Trans Am was less than a decade old at that point.The 50th Anniversary Trans Am lasted only one year, but its gold emblem lived on for two more. However, for 1977 and 1978, the gold-on-black paint scheme stayed on the Trans Am Special Edition's option sheet under codes Y81 and Y82. Y88 Trans AmIn 1978, a Y88 Special Edition was also offered. This $1,263 package gave buyers a car painted in Solar Gold with a more intricate bird emblem on the hood. The Y88's logo was also larger than previous versions at 47 inches wide and 55 inches tall. It was also the first to face the passenger side of the car.All 1979 Trans Ams were painted with this newly designed bird logo, except 10th Anniversary models (see below), which were decked out with an even larger version that branched out onto the front fenders. In 1980 and 1981, naturally aspirated models got a similar logo that was 1 inch wider than the 1979 version, and turbocharged Trans Ams were given a bird with two layers of feathers to wrap around the hood bulge. The logo also appeared on 1980 Indy Hauler pickups and the 1981 Daytona 500 pace car, but the truck's bird was smaller and flipped around to face the driver's side again. When the Trans Am was redesigned in 1985, the turbo and hood bulge were gone and the bird was shrunk to 38 inches wide and 41 inches tall. It was also flipped again to face the passenger side. This model was listed as option code DX1 at a price of $95 (a little less than $300 today). Although 1987 was the last year for the factory-available logo, you can still purchase aftermarket versions for your classic Trans Am.
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