A replica of the iconic talking car Kitt from the 1980s television series Knight Rider has been parked at a museum in Illinois for years. Yet, the Volo Museum recently received a $50 speeding fine from New York City for a violation captured by a traffic camera in Brooklyn. The citation alleges that the Knight Industries Two Thousand—commonly known as Kitt, a black Pontiac Trans Am—was clocked traveling 9 mph over the 25 mph speed limit on April 22.
Museum's Social Media Post
The museum, located in the village of Volo, Illinois, shared a copy of the citation on social media on May 7. The post included two images of a black car resembling Kitt, which was driven by actor David Hasselhoff throughout the show's four-season run starting in 1982. The vehicle was photographed heading southbound on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn.
According to the museum's post, the traffic camera captured the car's customized California license plate reading "KNIGHT." The city's system apparently linked that plate to the museum and sent the fine, even though the museum insists its Kitt replica "hasn't moved … in years!"
Viral Reaction
"Well, this is a new one," the museum wrote in its post, which quickly went viral. "This is 100% legit … You can't make this up!" The museum added, "Does anyone have Hasselhoff's number? He owes us $50!"
New York City officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, museum officials have stated they are seeking a hearing to dispute the citation.
About the Volo Museum
The Volo Museum, which opened in 1960, boasts a collection of vintage, sports, and Hollywood cars. While its Kitt replica was not used in the Knight Rider series, the museum considers it "a piece of automotive history." Created in 1991 from original show production designs by Mark Scricani of Mark's Custom Kits, the car was built to promote his reproduction Kitt accessories business.
The vehicle once belonged to George Barris, the designer of the Batmobile for the 1960s Batman television series. Barris, who worked on Knight Rider in its later seasons, autographed the museum's Kitt replica, which the institution calls a "true masterpiece of automotive engineering and technology."
Knight Rider follows former police officer Michael Knight (Hasselhoff), who, after being shot and left for dead, teams up with the sentient, talking car Kitt to fight crime. Despite being described by The Guardian in 2020 as "daft," the series became a global hit before Hasselhoff went on to star in Baywatch.
