THE KLOWN CAR

Watching Knight Rider you got to see a car that could do anything. That car could park itself, drive itself, it could even tell you where it was going and how it was going to get there.

"Yes, Michael, I plan to take the Hayes Bypass to avoid congestion."

At the time, this all seemed very cool to me. Owning a car like that was something to aim for in adult life.

As I look back now, I start to think that maybe Michael Knight was just a very bad driver. Why else would he need a car that could park itself, drive itself, tell him where it was going and how it was going to get there? I think there's an outtake somewhere where KITT broke down and we see Michael Knight trying to slip it into the right gear, doing that kind of kangaroo style stop-start with the clutch as he pulls away from the lights, then parking the car across two spots outside the supermarket. The show was essentially a shadowy journey into the world of a man who just couldn’t drive.

When seen in that light, Knight Rider suddenly doesn't seem half as cool.