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When Chris Pollin takes his Trans Am for a spin, the public reaction is sometimes dramatic. This is hardly surprising, for not only is the Pontiac a rather magnificent vehicle in its own right, but it is also a doppelganger for the star of a certain television programme. 

For those readers who are not devotees of classic US shows, Knight Rider was the saga of one Michael Knight, a young man who donned a succession of awful bomber jackets in his pursuit of justice, freedom, and the American Way. The show first aired on 26^th September 1982 with British transmissions commencing in the following year. Each episode was ‘a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist’, and often involved villains so evil that they wore their sunglasses indoors.

And assisting our hero was “KITT” – aka an extensively modified third-generation Pontiac Trans Am. In addition to being indestructible, he also boasted a top speed of 200 mph, electronic instruments, an ejector seat – and spoke in the dulcet tones of William Daniels. The stories also appeared to recycle the same scenes on a regular basis:

1. Michael dramatically moving the selector lever into “Drive”.
2. The “Turbo Boost” sound effects that resembled an automatic washing machine in overdrive.
3. A close-up of the LED speedometer display, with the needle climbing to 100 mph as KITT engages “Super Pursuit” mode.
4. A road block consisting of two very well-used 1972 Ford LTDs and several over-acting extras.
5. Gary Numan-style “Electro-Pop” incidental music. 

In short, Knight Rider was winning entertainment, not least because of the very tongue-in-cheek performances of the lead actors and, of course, the automotive star. However, such was the demand for the Pontiac in the early 1980s that NBC could only obtain four cars for the entire first series. Glen A Larson Productions eventually used approximately 23 models – both the entry-level Firebird and the Trans Am - between 1982 and 1986.

The customiser Michael Scheffe once observed he and his team had just 15-18 days to prepare the cars and the result was a vital aspect of so many childhoods – including Chris.  Back in the 1980s, Mr. Pollin was one of countless Knight Rider fans, and so as a fortieth birthday present, he decided to acquire a replica of KITT.

Chris’s Trans Am is a 1987 model modified to resemble the KITT of the second season. ‘It now has the 1982 seats, interior, and centre console’. Best of all the Pontiac also speaks in the voice of Mr. Daniels. The previous owner had a DVD of all the catchphrases, and as the dashboard is now software rather than electronically-based, they sound at random.

Over the past three months, Chris has been ‘re-writing and generally sorting her for driving’. The Trans Am’s engine has been upgraded to the 5.7-litre unit, and in terms of performance, ‘I knew that it would not be the same as a modern car. But just sitting in it is enough – to be in a replica of the Knight Rider car.’ ‘Gimme all ya got KITT’ as Mr. Hasselhoff once said.

WITH THANKS TO: Chris Pollin and The Sporting Bears - http://sportingbears.co.uk/

 

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