The TV Series
Knight Rider
A man an his car
fighting injustice
A talking wonder car and shooting star David Hasselhoff were the key ingredients when filming began on "Knight Rider" in 1982. In four seasons and 90 episodes, the team of man and machine has tirelessly fought people operating above the law.
In Germany, the series began to thrill fans in August 1985 on the young private channel RTL Plus. To this day, it is repeated almost continuously and finds new audiences year after year. Especially the children of the 80s and 90s have an unbroken fascination for the black Trans Am K.I.T.T.
A man an his car
fighting injustice
A talking wonder car and shooting star David Hasselhoff were the key ingredients when filming began on "Knight Rider" in 1982. In four seasons and 90 episodes, the team of man and machine has tirelessly fought people operating above the law.
In Germany, the series began in August 1985 on the young private channel RTL Plus to thrill its fans. To this day, it is repeated almost continuously and finds new audiences year after year. Especially the children of the 80s and 90s have an unbroken fascination for the black Trans Am K.I.T.T.
A man an his car
fighting injustice
A talking wonder car and shooting star David Hasselhoff were the key ingredients when filming began on "Knight Rider" in 1982. In four seasons and 90 episodes, the team of man and machine has tirelessly fought people operating above the law.
In Germany, the series began to thrill fans in August 1985 on the young private channel RTL Plus. To this day, it is repeated almost continuously and finds new audiences year after year. Especially the children of the 80s and 90s have an unbroken fascination for the black Trans Am K.I.T.T.
K.I.T.T.
The talking car is the secret star of the series. Thanks to the characteristic voice of William Daniels ( Gottfried Kramer in German) and the pointed dialogue, you quickly forget that you are dealing with a car.
KITT was created in the series world by a billionaire to fight injustice in his Foundation for Law and Government. KITT is almost indestructible, has a consciousness and is equipped with all kinds of useful functions. He can jump over obstacles, drive through walls, scan the environment or hack into telephone lines. Together with his driver David Hasselhoff alias Michael Knight, the two are an unbeatable team.
The red running light in the front, the scanner, is particularly striking.
K.I.T.T.
The talking car is the secret star of the series. Thanks to the characteristic voice of William Daniels ( Gottfried Kramer in German) and the pointed dialogue, you quickly forget that you are dealing with a car.
KITT was created in the series world by a billionaire to fight injustice in his Foundation for Law and Government. KITT is almost indestructible, has a consciousness and is equipped with all kinds of useful functions. He can jump over obstacles, drive through walls, scan the environment or hack into telephone lines. Together with his driver David Hasselhoff alias Michael Knight, the two are an unbeatable team.
The red running light in the front, the scanner, is particularly striking.
K.I.T.T.
The talking car is the secret star of the series. Thanks to the characteristic voice of William Daniels ( Gottfried Kramer in German) and the pointed dialogue, you quickly forget that you are dealing with a car.
KITT was created in the series world by a billionaire to fight injustice in his Foundation for Law and Government. KITT is almost indestructible, has a consciousness and is equipped with all kinds of useful functions. He can jump over obstacles, drive through walls, scan the environment or hack into telephone lines. Together with his driver David Hasselhoff alias Michael Knight, the two are an unbeatable team.
The red running light in the front, the scanner, is particularly striking.
Making of
When filming was scheduled, the most modern vehicle available was to be transformed into the talking wonder car. General Motors had announced the 3rd generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, which was perfect for showrunner Glen A. Larson.
Prop designer Michael Scheffe was commissioned to design both the exterior appearance and the elaborate cockpit. Later, show car legend George Barris also worked on KITT.
There was not only one KITT available for the shoot, but a whole range of different models. The Hero Car was used for close-ups - it was particularly detailed. In addition, there was the so-called blind drive car, which was used when KITT was on the road without a driver. There was also a whole range of stunt cars for all kinds of operations, e.g. to perform the elaborate turbo boost jumps.
Making of
When filming was scheduled, the most modern vehicle available was to be transformed into the talking wonder car. General Motors had announced the 3rd generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, which was perfect for showrunner Glen A. Larson.
Prop designer Michael Scheffe was commissioned to design both the exterior appearance and the elaborate cockpit. Later, show car legend George Barris also worked on KITT.
There was not only one KITT available for the shoot, but a whole range of different models. The Hero Car was used for close-ups - it was particularly detailed. In addition, there was the so-called blind drive car, which was used when KITT was on the road without a driver. There was also a whole range of stunt cars for all kinds of operations, e.g. to perform the elaborate turbo boost jumps.
What happened to K.I.T.T.?
Only a few of the more than 20 production vehicles remain to this day, especially the Hero Cars were unfortunately not preserved in their original condition. The reason: many of the basic Trans-Ams used were obtained by the production company Universal Studios at the time from the wreckage of a car-train accident. Although the cars had only minor damage, they were never allowed to be used on public roads again for legal reasons. The production was thus required by Pontiac to scrap these cars at the end of the series. After the end of season 4, this was unfortunately carried out and a wrecking ball was dropped on each of the affected KITTs, including the Super Pursuit Mode version. One of the "surviving" vehicles was displayed in the Universal Theme Park, but was later abandoned in a backyard to vandalism and weather. Three vehicles are now in collectors' hands, and two others can be found in museums. Unfortunately, none of these vehicles are still in their original condition.
The Replica
Our ambition was to create a replica that was based on the original Hero Cars of the first two seasons down to the last detail. The vehicle took 2 years to build and cost a small fortune in investments. The "Knight of Germany" has often been used by David Hasselhoff and has delighted tens of thousands of people at exhibitions.
The Replica
Our ambition was to create a replica that was based on the original Hero Cars of the first two seasons down to the last detail. The vehicle took 2 years to build and cost a small fortune in investments. The "Knight of Germany" has often been used by David Hasselhoff and has delighted tens of thousands of people at exhibitions.
Photo Courtesy: Martin Busker, Universal/ Everett Collection/ Imago, Alamy, PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive, AF archive, Photo 12
