In hiding for decades, this Knight Rider car was built for a show that never aired
- This custom-built Trans Am was made for a TV show
- However, the show never aired
- Now the car is with a new owner on the other side of the world
Published on May 10, 2025 at 2:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on May 08, 2025 at 1:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
This long-forgotten Knight Rider-inspired custom-built Pontiac Trans Am was created for a 1980s TV show that never aired.
Back in the early 1980s, David Hasselhoff played crime fighter Michael Knight, who was assisted by his super-smart artificially intelligent car KITT in the Knight Rider TV series.
The show was canceled in 1986, and the following year, a similarly themed show called Force III was produced.
However, despite making more than 60 episodes of Force III the show never aired, and the three vehicles that were custom-made for the show vanished.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The car was specially made for a TV show back in the 1980s
Unlike the AI-powered talking car from Knight Rider, the stars of Force III had three regular cars – a Jeep, a Corvette, and a Trans Am – that were given some serious armor and artillery.
The vehicles were all completely customized for the show.
However, as sometimes happens in the industry, the decision was made to quietly drop the show, and Force III never made it onto our screens.
But what became of the cars that appeared in the show?
Well, the Corvette and the Jeep have disappeared entirely, but the team from the Knight Rider Historians YouTube channel managed to track down the Trans Am.
After originally being sold in the US, the Trans Am has now made its way to a Knight Rider fan in New Zealand.
The old Knight Rider inspired car is in pretty good shape
The guys from Knight Rider Historians visited the owner, a man named Fred, to check out the car.
Despite being almost 40 years old, the Force III Trans Am is in great condition.
It’s completely intact and even its paintwork looks clean and fresh.
Fred said he initially saw the vehicle for ‘really, really cheap’ on eBay, but didn’t buy it. Something he later regretted, so he tracked the car’s new owner down and was able to convince him to sell.
Since it was originally made, the car has had some modifications, including being turned into a convertible rather than a hardtop.
Fred is also doing some work on the car, he’s ripped out the interiors and fitted a new digital dashboard.
So, for now, it’s a bit of a work in progress, but it will be one amazing vehicle when it’s finally finished.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
