The Volo Auto Museum in Illinois is home to a rare 1983 Pontiac Firebird modified to resemble KITT from the classic TV series Knight Rider. But the museum recently received an unexpected surprise: a speeding ticket from New York City.
According to a letter from the New York City Department of Finance, officials claimed the car was caught traveling at 36 mph (58 km/h) in a 25 mph (40 km/h) zone in Brooklyn on April 22.
There’s just one problem—the KITT replica was parked 840 miles (1,352 km) away at the Volo Museum in Illinois. So how did this happen?
How a Novelty License Plate Led to a Speeding Ticket
The ticket was issued to a vehicle displaying a novelty California “KNIGHT” license plate, which resembles the plates used in the Knight Rider TV show. These novelty plates are widely available for purchase online—often for around $25—and are intended for decorative purposes only.
The Volo Museum suspects someone used the novelty plate to avoid traffic violations, but the city’s automated system mistakenly linked the plate to their location. In a social media post, the museum stated:
“Well, this is a new one… we got this in the mail today. This is 100% legit. A traffic camera captured Knight Rider’s…
Posted by Volo Museum on Thursday, May 7, 2026
The museum added that “KITT hasn’t moved from our museum in years!” and called the situation “100% legit”, despite the obvious impossibility.
This Isn’t the First Time Novelty Plates Have Caused Problems
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident involving novelty license plates leading to mistaken tickets. Last fall, a woman received 15 speeding tickets from across the country because people used a novelty version of her real California “LUVSICK” plate.
She was forced to deal with the fallout, including sending a cease-and-desist letter to the company selling the novelty plates. While she eventually had the tickets dismissed, the ordeal was a major inconvenience.
What’s Next for the Volo Museum’s KITT Replica?
The Volo Museum, which houses over 200 cars—many from movies—has no plans to remove its iconic KITT replica. The museum confirmed that the vehicle remains safely in its collection and has not moved from Illinois.
As for the speeding ticket? The museum is likely to challenge it, given the clear discrepancy between the vehicle’s location and the alleged violation.
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