The Volo Museum in Illinois received a $50 speeding ticket from New York City for its replica of KITT, the iconic black Pontiac Trans Am from the 1980s TV series Knight Rider. According to multiple reports, the museum posted about receiving the citation on May 7, which alleged that their car was captured by a traffic camera going 36 mph in a 25 mph zone on April 22. The ticket included images of a black Trans Am with the California license plate 'KNIGHT', matching the novelty plate on the museum's unregistered replica.
Key Takeaways
The Volo Museum in Illinois received a $50 speeding ticket from New York City for its stationary KITT replica, which hasn't moved in years. The ticket was issued after a traffic camera captured an image of a similar car with matching license plates. According to UPI, the NYC Department of Transportation has since acknowledged the error and will dismiss the ticket.
- Volo Museum's KITT replica received $50 speeding ticket from NYC
- Traffic camera captured image of car going 36 mph in a 25 mph zone on April 22
- Museum claims car hasn't moved in years and plate is novelty only
- NYC Department of Transportation to dismiss the ticket
The museum maintains that its KITT has not moved from its exhibit in years, making the citation a mystery. Jim Wojdyla, the museum's marketing director, expressed confusion about how the city linked their car to the ticket. 'We're still trying to figure it out,' he said. The Volo Museum has requested a hearing to dispute the fine.
According to UPI, the New York City Department of Transportation acknowledged that the ticket was issued in error and will be dismissed. Wojdyla told USA Today that the museum's plate isn't even real, stating 'It's just a novelty plate. We sell these in our gift shop.' The museum humorously suggested that Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff might have been out for a joyride, posting on social media, 'Does anyone have Hasselhoff's number? He owes us $50.'
The replica KITT was created in 1991 using original show production designs and once belonged to George Barris, who designed the Batmobile for the 1960s Batman television series. The museum describes it as 'a true masterpiece of automotive engineering and technology'. While not used in the Knight Rider series, it is considered a piece of automotive history.
The original Knight Rider series starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, who teamed up with the supposedly sentient and talking KITT to combat criminals. The show aired from 1982 to 1986 and became a global hit despite being described by some critics as 'daft'. New York City officials have not immediately responded to requests for comment beyond the Department of Transportation's acknowledgment of the error.
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