K.I.T.T. going once: World's favourite talking car up for auction

LOS ANGELES: One of TV's most famous cars is going under the hammer.

David Hasselhoff, best known as the crime-fighting and beach-strutting star of 1980s TV shows "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch", is selling the former's best-known prop.

The AI-powered car known as K.I.T.T. from "Knight Rider" is one of dozens of items up for grabs in a sale of items owned by the the 68-year-old actor.

"Everything goes," Hasselhoff said in a video promoting the auction on his Twitter account, pointing to a room full of Baywatch paraphernalia and gold and platinum records.

Ahead of the end of bidding on Jan 23, "David's personal K.I.T.T. Knight Rider car" had already fetched US$750,000 in early bids.

The auctioneers initially expected the K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Two Thousand) to fetch a sum between US$175,000 and US$300,000.

If the tricked-out Pontiac's final price is more than 25 per cent above the estimate, Hasselhoff will personally deliver the car to the new owner, according to the auction website.

The seller is giving little information about the car other than that it's "fully functional" - presumably without the turbo boost or built-in AI that can talk, drive and smell that features on the show.

But photos do show it features the same button-crammed cockpit seen in original episodes.

In addition to the cult car, the Live Auctioneers website is also offering a giant Hasselhoff statue, a pair of worn swimming trunks from the "Spongebob" film and numerous other props from "Baywatch".

If the car is too pricey, you can can also buy yourself dinner with the Hoff for upwards of US$8,500.