The greatest cars ever to grace the small screen

The greatest cars ever to grace the small screen The world of television has long been home to vehicles that captured the imagination of millions, often more than their cinematic counterparts. These cars, appearing week after week, endured countless crashes, jumps, and near-misses while maintaining an almost mythical status among fans. Among them, the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am known as KITT from Knight Rider, the iconic 1969 Dodge Charger dubbed the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard, and the sleek Ferrari 308 GTS from Magnum, P.I. stand out as enduring symbols of pop culture. KITT, the talking car driven by David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight, began life as a seemingly absurd concept. Created by Glen A. Larson, who also brought Battlestar Galactica to life, the idea of a sentient car with a red scanner light borrowed from the Cylons was met with skepticism by Pontiac executives. Despite initial doubts, the production team secured some of the first black 1982 Trans Ams, which would become the face of the series. Over the course of the show’s run, more than 20 of these cars were used, many of them destroyed during filming. In 1983, a fortunate accident, when a train carrying new Trans Ams derailed in California, allowed General Motors to offload a batch of the cars to the production at a cost of just one dollar each. Today, only five KITTs remain, scattered across museums and private collections, including two in Pennsylvania, one in California, one in Orlando, and one in the United Kingdom. The General Lee, from The Dukes of Hazzard, took the concept of television cars to another level. This orange 1969 Dodge Charger was the vehicle of the unforgettable Bo and Luke Duke, and it spent more time airborne than most airplanes. The show required frequent jumps, and as a result, the production used more than 300 Chargers, most of which were destroyed. The dramatic landings, though thrilling on screen, left the cars in ruins. When the show ended, 18 surviving examples were left to gather dust on a studio lot until one of them, the original General Lee from the first episode, resurfaced in a Georgia junkyard in 2001. It was later restored and purchased by golfer Bubba Watson for over $100,000. The oldest surviving General Lee now resides in the Volo Museum in Illinois. Meanwhile, Magnum, P.I. introduced audiences to the Ferrari 308 GTS, a car that became synonymous with the character played by Tom Selleck. Originally, Selleck had hoped to drive a Porsche 928, but the manufacturer refused to make modifications. Ferrari stepped in, offering to lower the seats to accommodate Selleck’s tall stature. Across eight seasons, approximately 15 different 308 GTS models were used, all eventually returned to Ferrari North America. One of these cars, from the pilot episode, fetched $379,000 at auction in Florida, significantly higher than the typical price for a similar model. The value, however, seemed to be tied more to the actor’s distinctive mustache than the car itself. Today, enthusiasts continue to seek out these legendary machines, with one such car currently listed for sale on DoneDeal Cars. While it lacks the signature red paint of Magnum’s Ferrari, it remains a testament to the lasting impact of television on automotive history.