Michael Long is a policeman, while investigating someone, he was shot and left for dead. But a millionaire, Wilton Knight finds him and saves him and gives him a new face. It seems that Knight wants to wage a war against criminals who operate above the law. And Michael is the man he has chosen to wage that war. He has created the ultimate car, the Knight Industries Two Thousand or KITT, which is laced with a virtually indestructible alloy, and is also capable of moving on its own and also talks. He gives the car to Michael, and gives him the new identity of Michael Knight. Michael is assisted by one of Knight's associates, Devon Miles. Bonnie is the mechanic who takes care of KITT. During the second season Bonnie was replaced by April, as the new mechanic. The folowing season she left and Bonnie returned. The next season they acquired a new member, Reginald Cornelius III or RC3.

KITT, the Knight Industries Two-Thousand, was a customized 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am. The 1982 model year was the first year of the third-generation (1982-1992) F-bodies (Chevrolet's Camaro and Pontiac's Firebird share the same platform), and was a complete redesign of the second-generation (see Smokey and the Bandit (1977) for a 2nd-gen Trans-Am).

[opening narration]


Narrator:
Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

Continuity: Every time KITT drives into the mobile headquarters we can clearly see that the car just barely fits, with only a few inches clearance from each side, yet Michael is able to swing the door open and get out.