Aston Martin DB5 voted third favourite customised car

24-Jun-2005 • Bond News

KITT, the souped-up Pontiac Trans-Am that vied with actor David Hasselhoff for the limelight in the 1980s television series "Knight Rider," was judged Britain's favourite customised car by MTV viewers on Friday.

The low-slung, blacked-out KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) beat the Batmobile into second place and left James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 eating its dust in third.

"KITT and I are honoured and humbled by this award ... for a car over 23-years-old to still have enough grip in its tyres to stay on top, shows we really were ahead of our time," Hasselhoff, who played Michael Knight in the series, said in a statement.

The MTV survey asked viewers to vote on the contenders' "pimp" appeal or the quality of add-on gadgets and overall desirability.

KITT and Hasselhoff entertained millions of British children in the 1980s who tuned in to watch the antics of a car that could travel at 300 mph and leap 50 foot in the air.

The car could also talk and boasted its own personality -- slightly haughty, sometimes peevish, but always protective of Hasselhoff.

MTV said 2,100 people responded to its online poll which was introduced to mark the launch later this month of "Pimp My Ride UK", a show which sees cars transformed into "blinging pimp mobiles".

The programme, which attracted over nine million viewers last year, will be presented by hip hop DJ Tim Westwood.

Among other cars rated was the De Lorean of "Back To The Future" at number four, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at number five and Del Boy Trotter's Reliant Robin from "Only Fools And Horses" at six.

Thanks to `Kyvan` for the alert.