Restored semi from ‘Knight Rider’ to journey from Butler to Philadelphia space for unveiling

The black T-top with the swooshing crimson gentle in its nostril and a sometimes-­snarky AI wasn’t the one car featured on the Eighties tv collection “Knight Rider.”

A black tractor-trailer with a long-nose cab, marked with gold trim and a knight chess piece, was prominently featured because the cell unit for the present’s Foundation for Law and Government, a touring base of operations for David Hasselhoff’s Michael Knight and the high-tech Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka KITT.

Observant drivers would possibly spot the semi crossing Pennsylvania later this 12 months on its manner from Butler County to close Philadelphia for its first look because the truck’s items had been discovered, repaired and introduced again to their Knight Rider look.

The restored screen-used tractor-trailer will make its first public look at Retro Con 2026, a popular culture conference being held Sept. 12-13 on the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.

It will mark the profitable conclusion of years of effort by Joe Huth of Clay Township, and his accomplice, AJ Palmgren, who’re often known as the Knight Rider Historians. In addition to the truck, they personal two of the 5 surviving automobiles used as KITT.

“I’m excited to let people see the finished thing, especially those who have been following me for years. They’re going to be so excited, and I’m going to be excited for them to be able to see it,” Huth mentioned. “I didn’t realize the amount of work and how long it would take. It’s such a sense of accomplishment to see this thing through.”

The tractor, a 1984 GMC General, was the second used for the cell unit within the present’s third and fourth seasons. It was discovered on an Idaho farm in 2016 — painted blue and its customized fake sleeper gone — and so they purchased it in 2019.

“A family of mice had lived in it. They destroyed the interior,” Huth mentioned. “It hadn’t run in 15 years. It needed a complete overhaul.”

The first tractor, a 1980 GMC General, stays lacking. Huth runs a seek for its car identification quantity each six months.

“There’s always hope to find stuff,” he mentioned. “It very well could be out there.”

Only one trailer, a 1978 Dorsey, was used over Knight Rider’s 4 seasons. It was discovered close to Phoenix in 2022, the place it had been used for storage for 11 years, painted white and modified for hauling drag racing automobiles and boats.

“It was not as bad as the tractor. The dry climate in Arizona kept it in pretty good shape for how old it was,” Huth mentioned. “It took a year to tear it all back down to its base.”

As a part of the restoration, Huth has arrange the inside of the trailer to the way it was seen on the present, which had really been a studio set.

He hopes to have every part carried out by August.

Painting is among the many final of the work. Dorsey Trailer donated the entire paint provides to color your entire car. Chris Hoke, proprietor of SpeedPro Fort Worth West in Fort Worth, Texas, is donating the vinyl decals.

Joseph Scott, vice chairman of Dorsey Trailer, mentioned they turned conscious of the restoration effort and agreed to assist in any manner they might with the trailer, although the corporate not produces that mannequin.

“Recently, our outside marketing team touched base with Joe to see if we could provide anything else. He stated they were near the end of the restoration and could use some paint. Dorsey is gladly providing this,” Scott mentioned. “Very few people would do what Joe and the team have done with this trailer. This project has been ongoing for several years and they never let a roadblock slow them down. We are extremely proud of the work they have done and are glad to play a small role in helping them.”

Hoke, 52, has been a Knight Rider fan since childhood and a frequent viewer of the Knight Rider Historian’s YouTube channel.

“I was watching one of his videos and he asked for anyone that does that kind of thing. I own a print shop here in Fort Worth, Texas, and so I reached out to him and said that we do that sort of thing and I’d love to be part of the restoration,” Hoke mentioned. “I’m inspired that someone has the passion to keep our history for us Gen X’ers. It’s rare that somebody will preserve that history we will remember.”

Donations have been important for the undertaking. Huth estimates the associated fee has been effectively over $100,000. More than 500 individuals have donated about $80,000.

“There’s no way we would have finished the trailer this soon without all those donations,” he mentioned.

Going to Retro Con with the semi can be considered one of their two KITT automobiles, a 1984 Pontiac Firebird that was used for stunts within the third and fourth seasons after which displayed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles from 1988 to 1993. It was final at Retro Con in 2022, and was the automotive featured on Jay Leno’s Garage in 2018 and reunited with Hasselhoff on ABC’s “Good Morning America” in 2019.

Huth and Palmgren plan to maintain the tractor-trailer with a 3rd accomplice in Chicago, the place it may be saved indoors and be in a extra central location for touring to Midwest exhibits.

There weren’t but any plans for exhibiting the truck in Pittsburgh.

“I’m sure it will get displayed in the Pittsburgh area at some point,” Huth mentioned.