Ed Donahue

Bo Diddley (Ellas Otha Bates) (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008)

Comedian Jackie Gleason sits behind the wheel of his new Buick as
assembly plant manager H.T. Anderson stands along side.

The Buick Motor Company signed Jackie Gleason (above) to one of the largest
contracts ever entered into with an entertainer. Gleason agreed to produce 78
half-hour shows over a two-year period for $6,142,500.

Original run on CBS: October 1, 1955 – September 22, 1956.

Art Carney (left) and Jackie Gleason on the Honeymooners set.

Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit.

The 1977 Pontiac Trans Am owned by Burt Reynolds.

Burt Reynolds has sold his black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am at auction for
$450,000. It was only a promotional vehicle from his hit movie Smokey
and the Bandit, and is not one of the actual cars used in the film.

The vehicle had only been expected to fetch $60,000 to $80,000, according
to Julien’s Auction, which conducted auction of a wide range of Reynolds
memorabilia over the weekend in Las Vegas. The auction house says that
the car had been given to Reynolds to help promote the movie, which co-
starred Sally Field, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason.

1977

Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds turned 78 in February.

The Ford Model A was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company,
after its predecessor, the Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but
not sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been
produced for 18 years.

The Ford model A assembly line at the Rouge Complex

FIRST MODEL A DELIVERED IN HOUSTON TEXAS – 1928

Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford