Wealthy Texan Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos seek a trucker willing to Rum-running Coors Brewing Company beer to Georgia (U.S. state) for their refreshment; Big Enos has sponsored a racer in Atlanta's Southern Classic and wants to celebrate in style when he wins. They find local legend Bo "Bandit" Darville at a roadeo at Lakewood Fairgrounds in Atlanta and offer him $80,000 to pick up 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana, Texas (the closest place it could be legally sold at that time), and bring it back to Atlanta in 28 hours. Bandit takes the bet and recruits his partner Cledus "Snowman" Snow to drive the truck, while Bandit drives a black Pontiac Firebird#Firebird Trans Am bought on an advance from the Burdettes as a "blocker" to divert attention away from the truck and its illegal cargo.