One of the most iconic movies in gearhead history happened in 1977 when Burt Reynolds drove his black ’77 Pontiac Trans Am “Eastbound and down” while playing lookout for Jerry Reed, who was hauling a load of beer across state lines. Of course, in an odd twist to the plot, the Bandit (Reynolds) picks up Carrie (Sally Field), who was skipping out on her wedding to Junior.

That scene didn’t set too well with Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by the late great actor Jackie Gleason. Justice and Junior set out on a cross-country spree to get Carrie back to fulfill her wedding promise to his son. The real star of the show to most gearheads was the 1977 Trans Am, although there were some very notable performances from a variety of actors and actresses that had to compete with the Bandit.

It’s no wonder that here we are, nearly 40 years later, and we’re still in love with Smokey and the Bandit and the cast of characters that sparked a frenzy of Trans Am sales the following year. Not only is there a year Bandit Run that draws in hundreds of people from all over the country, but you can find displays at many major car shows that depict the three main vehicles: The Trans Am, Snowman’s big rig, and of course that abused 1977 Pontiac LeMans.

At the Omaha World of Wheels as seen in the video above, there seemed to be a wax figure of Justice sitting in the cruiser, with the big blue lights still spinning. As the cameraman zooms in and out, the still figure is almost a little spooky: is it real or is it a wax figure? After a few seconds, we figure it’s wax. But then something happens, and even the cameraman is startled. Just watch. Did you jump, just a little?