Enrico Manetta founded his general contracting business Manetta Enterprises, Inc, in Maspeth, New York, in 1991. As an avid muscle car fanatic, Enrico Manetta has taken pride in once owning a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am.
The Trans Am, which is actually a specialty package for Pontiac’s Firebird, originated in 1962. Trans Ams may have been made famous for their feature in the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit. The movie used four black 1977 Trans Ams in its production, though none of the cars actually used in the movie survived through the filming due to the heavy amount of stunts. Universal Studios also owned one additional Trans Am, which was identical to those used in the film, to be driven across the United States to promote the movie. This promotional car was put up for auction in January 2016. The car was first bought from the movie’s star, Burt Reynolds, in 2014 for $450,000, and has since been equipped with a rebuilt engine that is nearly identical to its original. The famous Trans Am, which held valuable Smokey and the Bandit memorabilia including maps showing scene locations and an original script of the film, was sold in auction for $550,000.
