There are many things people would prefer to forget about the eighties, but who could ever forget small screen stars “Kitt” or the Ferrari used in the Magnum PI series. Empty your piggy banks; these legendary wheels are up for grabs.
There are many things people would prefer to forget about the eighties, but who could ever forget small screen stars “Kitt” or the Ferrari used in the Magnum PI series. Empty your piggy banks; these legendary wheels are up for grabs.
Many who have wanted to own a piece of small-screen history would look no further than the talking, flying Kitt, or tough-guy Thomas Magnum’s slick Ferrari. Both the 1983 Pontiac Trans Am used in and the 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS used in , are being auctioned at the weekend on .
Back in the early days of South African television, audiences – especially young boys – loved “Kitt”, the talking, thinking, fighting black Trans Am that upstaged leading man David Hasselhoff in the TV series Knight Rider. Heavily modified and instantly recognisable with its infrared scanner with moving LED at the front, the 1983 Pontiac Trans Am was fitted with a very futuristic interior.
For stunt purposes, Kitt was fitted with a brake differential lock that, once activated by a floor-mounted switch, could disable the front brakes to make his famous bootleg turns possible. The original Crossfire V8 engine was removed and replaced with a Chevy 350 powerplant. The engine bay was greatly readjusted to make way for extra batteries and special effects items of the show’s star.
In 2001, Kitt’s owner sent it in for restoration and the original dash – only meant to illuminate – was made functional with fully operational gauges and instruments with sound and visual effects. The original functional scanner was given sound effects heard through external speakers so it can be heard when the scanner is running.
The car comes with the original “Knight” licence plate, original Universal Studios key ring and a copy of the production sheet from a Knight Rider episode dated September 3, 1985.
Also up for sale is the original 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS driven by Tom Selleck in the hit detective show, .
Designed by Turin-based coach designer Pininfarina, Magnum’s car demonstrated classic Ferrari influences of the time.
The car is tuned and remains in good driving condition with just over 140 000 km on the clock. Slight modifications were made in 1980 to accommodate Tom Selleck’s large frame and included the removal of some seat cushioning so Selleck would sit lower in the car. The seat rails were bolted to give Selleck’s long legs more room and the original black top was painted Ferrari Red by the current owner for aesthetic reasons.
The car comes with an additional set of Campagnolo 16-inch wheels as well as the original wheels used on the series. It also includes a set of original Hawaiian personalised license plates reading “MAG PI”.
Bidding for the two eighties icons start from R 362 000.
