Where Is the Original ‘Knight Rider’ Car Today?

Lauren Novak October 15, 11:42 am

KNIGHT RIDER, K.I.T.T., 1982-86 — Universal TV/Everett Collection

When Knight Rider first premiered on NBC in September 1982, audiences were introduced to a new kind of crimefighter: KITT, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, a sleek, talking 1982 Pontiac Trans Am that traveled with David Hasselhoff‘s Michael Knight. For many fans, KITT was not just a car; it was their favorite character on the show. Almost four decades after the series concluded in 1986, where is the original KITT? Out of about 30 cars used during filming, only five are known to exist today. The rest were destroyed during production or scrapped after NBC canceled the series in 1986. And as it turns out, two of the rare surviving cars from the show now live together in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

The world’s largest collection of screen-used KITTs belongs to Butler native Joe Huth and his business partner, AJ Palmgren, known collectively as the Knight Rider Historians. This summer, Huth built a garage behind his home to house not one, but two screen-used cars: the very first KITT from the pilot episode and a later stunt car from seasons three and four.

KNIGHT RIDER, David Hasselhoff, (1985), 1982-86

Universal TV/Everett Collection

The crown jewel of the collection is that first 1982 Trans Am — the same one fans saw barreling toward the screen in the opening credits. After spending years on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, it was brought to Butler County in July 2025. Before that, the car had an unusual journey: It was sold to a promotions company after filming, then reportedly purchased by a Saudi prince in the early 1990s, but never claimed. It sat in a San Diego auction lot until it was restored and eventually acquired by Huth and Palmgren in 2007. For fans on the East Coast, the car will make a rare public appearance at Retro Con in Oaks, Pennsylvania, in September.

Beside it in Huth’s garage is the 1984 Firebird used for stunts during the later seasons. That car was once displayed at Universal Studios before being discarded into a junkyard in 2008, where Huth and Palmgren rescued it. Both cars were missing their futuristic dashboards during filming, but careful restoration has helped bring them closer to the way fans remember. The 1984 KITT even made appearances on Jay Leno‘s Garage and Good Morning America with Hasselhoff before going back to Huth. Huth said, according to Trib Live, “It’s such a blessing to be the caretaker of something I adored so much as a kid and still do as an adult.”

KNIGHT RIDER, David Hasselhoff, K.I.T.T., 1982-86

Universal TV/Everett Collection

Today, the other three surviving KITTs are scattered. One is at the Marconi Automotive Museum in California, another at the Orlando Auto Museum in Florida and one is in private hands in the United Kingdom.

Where to Watch Knight Rider

Select episodes are also available on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV for digital purchase. It may be available for free with ads on The Roku Channel.