A replica of the iconic talking car Kitt from the 1980s television series Knight Rider has been at the center of a bizarre speeding ticket saga. The Volo Museum, located about an hour north of Chicago, Illinois, recently received a $50 fine from New York City for a traffic camera violation. The citation alleges that a black Pontiac Trans Am resembling Kitt was caught speeding 9 mph over the 25 mph limit on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn on April 22.
Museum's Disbelief
The museum, named after the Illinois village where it is situated, shared the citation on social media on May 7. The post included two images of a black car that looks like Kitt, the vehicle driven by David Hasselhoff's character Michael Knight in the show that aired from 1982 to 1986. The museum expressed astonishment, stating that their Kitt replica “hasn’t moved … in years!” and called the situation “100% legit.”
License Plate Connection
The traffic camera captured the vehicle's customized California license plate reading “KNIGHT.” The city's system linked that plate to the museum and mailed the fine. The museum humorously added, “Does anyone have Hasselhoff’s number? He owes us $50!” New York City officials have not commented, and the museum plans to dispute the citation at a hearing.
Background of the Replica
The Volo Museum, which opened in 1960, boasts a collection of vintage, sports, and Hollywood cars. Although this Kitt was not used in the original series, it was built in 1991 using original production designs by Mark Scricani of Mark's Custom Kits to promote his replica Kitt accessories business. The car once belonged to George Barris, the designer of the Batmobile for the 1960s Batman TV series, who also worked on Knight Rider in later seasons. Barris autographed the museum's replica, which the institution calls a “true masterpiece of automotive engineering and technology.”
Knight Rider follows former police officer Michael Knight, who, after being shot, teams up with the sentient car Kitt to fight crime. Despite being described as “daft” by the Guardian in 2020, the show was a global hit and launched Hasselhoff's career to new heights.
