Joe and AJ have their own screen-used vehicles and merchandise and share their passion with everyone.
We should all be nerdy friends and share our Knight Rider affection. Is there any TV car more famous than KITT in Hollywood? Dukes fans may have something to add, but we prefer the 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in black that was a character and not a flashy car. We are not the only ones feeling this way. It’s not by any stretch.
Joe Huth (left) and AJ Palmgren (right), are the dedicated duo behind Knight Rider History Makers. Two original screen-used KITT Trans Ams are theirs. They are the home of the largest original prop collection in the world. They have interviewed cast members and crew from the show. They have an extensive library of videos and articles that cover every aspect of the show. They are often called upon to authenticate items related to the Knight Rider program. Palmgren is actually in Spain right now, checking out a Trans Am that could have been a promotional car from the 1980s.
In a Hollywood-style wild search, they even found the original GMC General semi truck. It took them literally years. We did the video about the findearlier, in 2021. Since then, we’ve spent too many hours browsing Knight Rider Historian’s YouTube channel rather than working. We suspect that others are playing catch up with some Knight Rider content, as they have over 50,000 subscribers. We couldn’t resist the urge chat with them about Knight Rider, and the legions who still love KITT even after all these years.
Huth said that he really fell in love with the show after it was syndicated in the late 1980s. They would play three-hour blocks Knight Rider when he got home from school. It really took off for me in 2000. It was so amazing that I wanted to know more about the show, so I wrote a book called Knight Rider Legacy when I was 20.
Huth said that things have just gotten better since then. Huth interviewed the entire cast and crew of the book and was then interviewed by Universal in 2004 for their Knight Rider DVD set. He met Palmgren shortly thereafter at a Knight Rider convention. They quickly became friends and were able to purchase an original, screen-used KITT in 2007. In 2008, a second car came up and they purchased that one as well. The Petersen Museum Los Angeles has one on loan and they are currently restoring it.
Huth explained, “We have a reputation for being hardcore Knight Rider guys.” We are interested in the show but also the details.
Huth also shared a bizarre story about the KITT that a Saudi prince bought in early 1990s. After the car was stolen, it was recovered and then abandoned at an auction parking lot in San Diego for seven years as the prince attempted to resolve title issues. It was finally sold and restored by the original owner, who then sold it to the Historians. It is now at the Petersen Museum.
It is rare to own a single original KITT. Most of the cars were destroyed by the studio after the series ended. This was per an agreement between the studios and General Motors. Only five of the 20 cars that were used on screen are still in existence. Huth and Palmgren made it possible to preserve Knight Rider history over the years.
Huth stated that people enjoy hearing the behind-the scenes stories when they go to shows. Huth said that he thought there might be more people interested in hearing these stories, which is how YouTube was born. It’s grown beyond what I expected.
We love the semi in black and gold, with matching trailer and KITT inside. Bravo, gentlemen. Well done, indeed.