Photo: Special/Modified Car Collection
The fact that Pontiac never officially released a “KITT edition” of the Trans Am is one of the biggest automotive travesties in history. How anyone could drop such a big ball is beyond me, and I say this as both a car enthusiast and a fan of the TV show.
The Knight Industries Two Thousand, also known as KITT, is arguably the most popular television car of all time. He starred alongside David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider as Michael Knight's intelligent and knowledgeable crime-fighting partner, and built a huge cult following for himself to the point where third-generation Pontiac Trans Ams have become inseparable from KITT's on-screen identity.
Speaking of “his” identity, one of KITT's main design features was the iconic front “scanner” bar, a pulsating red light that moved from side to side. Believe it or not, the inspiration for this design was the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica.
It is said that at least 20 different Trans Ams were used during the production of Knight Rider, each with a specific purpose: from hero cars (used for close-ups) to stunt cars (often stripped down and badly damaged).
Stunt cars were sometimes modified for jump sequences, which meant they had stronger suspension and reinforcements to handle the impact of landing. However, it was the hero cars that received the full “KITT treatment,” with rather functional dashboards. They had to look good, because they were used for close-up driving sequences with The Hoff behind the wheel.
Now, what we have here is a 1982 Firebird Trans Am built and signed by George Barris, the creator of KITT. It was also signed by David Hasselhoff himself.
The vehicle is for sale through Specialty Car Collection, a West Hollywood dealer who is asking $150,000 for it. But here's the thing. According to the listing, this car was used by the production company to promote the TV series, which means it may never have appeared on screen with Hasselhoff, at least that's my conclusion.
Photo: Special Car Collection
If so, it would simply be a glorified replica, although that's probably too harsh a term, considering it's a car built by Barris.
Look, this thing looks incredible and every detail seems perfect. I can also tell you that this is not a pre-production KITT, so to speak. How do I know? Because KITT had three lights on each side embedded in the front bumper in the first season of Knight Rider, and starting in season two, the production team went with a design with two lights per side, which is what we see here. Unfortunately, it is unclear when this car was built.
Performance-wise, this Trans Am is powered by a 5.0-liter V8, good for 145 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque, with all of it sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. It certainly won’t give you Turbo Boost anywhere.
So, is it worth $150,000? If everything checks out as far as its history goes, then yes, it probably is. However, if you don't care much about who built it or who signed it, you can certainly find a KITT replica (Trans Am with a KITT conversion) for much less.