David Hasselhoff and his Pontiac Firebird Trans Am named KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) were Earth's 1980s version of Luke Skywalker and R2D2.

The timing for introducing the show Knight Rider in 1982 was perfect. Two Star Wars movies had been released within the previous 5 years. People were getting used to the idea of machines and robots that could think for themselves and heavily interact with humans on a very personal level. The show Dukes of Hazzard came on the air in 1979, which was wildly successful, largely to the cool scenes of the Duke boys in the car 'General Lee' being chased by cop while jumping over rivers, cars, just about anything imaginable.

David Hasselhoff And KITT
via Pinterest

The show Knight Rider combined the best of both Star Wars and The Dukes of Hazzard. A fast car that could perform all kinds of stunts and drive itself while having a sense of humor. Then, tack on a smooth talking, good looking guy that would fight for justice and the American way. What else could a 13-year-old fan ask for in a show? Although the series only lasted four years, it left a huge impression on thousands of people worldwide. The car KITT was so popular, it was featured on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage in 2018. Super Car Blondie also reviewed KITT while in London and even took it for a spin!

What Made This Car So Special

One of the great things about the show Knight Rider is that it did not have to spend millions per episode on super expensive animation or fancy cars such as a Ferrari or a Porsche.  Instead, a somewhat limited number of Pontiac Firebird Trans AMs were modified to fulfill the need. The 1982 Trans Am came standard with 305 cui V-8, allowing for a top speed of around 124 mph.

Due to scene shooting requirements, a camera receiver had to be mounted on the vehicle, as well as a skid plate. In some of the larger jump scenes, the skid plate can be seen in the actual episode. What is intriguing is that the car on the show was considered super smart, yet every piece of hardware related to emissions was removed from the real car. Basically, anything computer-related was taken out. The vehicle did stick with the factory Trans Am flares. Due to the frequency of stunts, there was a dimmer switch installed on the floor of the vehicle, which functioned as a line lock, to lock the front brakes when performing 180s and such.

The KITT Ranks Up High

HANNOVER, GERMANY - AUGUST 27: Actor David Hasselhoff sits in his KITT car from the seies "Knight Rider" while attending The Dome 55 on August 27, 2010 in Hannover, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

If you check out the Edmunds review of the top 100 greatest movie and TV cars of all time, you'll see that Knight Rider and the Trans Am came in at number seven. What is impressive is that KITT is ranked even higher that Vin Diesel's 1970 Dodge Charger from the Fast and Furious series. It also blew away several Batmobiles. What else would you expect from a car that can drive itself and go 300 mph? Way to go KITT!

RELATED: The Hidden Truth Behind The 1982 Pontiac Trans Am

Why Knight Rider Was Such A Hit

David Hasselhoff Knight Rider Pontiac Firebird 1982
Via TheIrishSun

Knight Rider was a show ahead of its time. Not only did it portray a super smart car with seemingly artificial intelligence, the show also had a hot mechanic named Bonnie Barstow (played by Patricia McPherson). Perhaps it was this combination that lead to shows such as Car Masters: Rust To Riches taking a page from the Knight Rider success story and hiring a bombshell such as Constance Nunes to be a mechanic.

In 1991 a made for TV movie was created named Knight Rider 2000. The portrayal of the year 2000 is quite comical, which included cryogenic incarceration. Sadly, it was not a huge hit and the car used in the movie was not the original KITT. Still, it goes to show how popular the series was at one time and what an impact that show had on car culture. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of Pontiac Trans Ams that have been tricked out in the hopes of capturing the essence of KITT.

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