As mentioned in our forums last week Profiles in History is set to host a live auction on eBay where one of the items up for grabs is a KITT used in the filming of Knight Rider:
437. K.I.T.T. (Knight Industry Two Thousand) car from Knight Rider. (Universal TV, 1982-85) This highly-modified 1983 Pontiac Trans Am is an original screen-used hero car used during the second season of the hit TV series. Instantly recognizable with its working scanner in the front and highly futuristic interior, this vehicle was arguably the star of the show! Accompanied with the original ownership certificate listing MCA Universal Studios Inc. as the registered owner. For insurance and liability reasons the vehicle's identification number was removed by Universal (common practice for their film and TV cars) and it was subsequently assigned the in-house inventory control number of "1177" (numbers can be found on the driver-side door and under the hood).
More information on the KITT can be found at the auction page. Also a page detailing the restoration of this car can be found at Mark's Custom Kits restoration page which is a very interesting read in itself.
The estimate is ranging from $40,000 to $60,000
This eBay auction was recently picked up by BoingBoing and engadget.
More info on the Auction below
On the Company:
How would you like to own one of the most famous cars in the world? One that’s instantly recognizable to millions of people?You can when Beverly Hills, CA based Profiles in History, The world's #1 auction house of original motion picture and television memorabilia, auctions the Magnum P.I. Ferrari driven by Tom Selleck in the famed television series, along with some 350 other memorable items on Friday, July 30th.
According to Profiles in History founder and CEO Joe Maddalena, "People around the world, who are movie or television buffs, want to own a piece of Hollywood history and are recognizing this hot area of pop culture!"
P.I.H. has auctioned some remarkable items over the years, including Captain Kirk's Command chair from the 1960's Star Trek series; the Black Beauty car driven by Bruce Lee who played Kato in The Green Hornet television series; and the incredible Ascot dress designed by Academy Award® winning art director/designer Cecil Beaton and worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film My Fair Lady, which won seven Oscars.
The worldwide auction, which promises to be one of the best ever, will be held in P.I.H.'s headquarters at 110 N. Doheny Drive and will be a live in-person acution. You can also bid via phone, fax, and on the Internet at www.ebayliveauctions.com.
P.I.H., founded in 1985, now generates millions in annual revenue through three to four auctions each year.
The attached release lists some of the highlights of the July 30th auction, which you will be able to view online at www.profilesinhistory.com or see them for yourself in person by arranging a visit to Profiles in History between now and July 30th and learn facts that your audience will find fascinating such as:
• Why memorabilia from A-list actors like Brad Pitt won’t sell, but anything worn in the X-men movies by a lesser-known actor is worth a fortune.
• Why Tom Cruise’s costume from Top Gun is worth $25,000, but his costume from Mission Impossible is worth only $2,500.
• Why certain celebrities sell better than others that are equally talented and popular.
• Plus find answers to any questions you may have about this exploding collectors industry directly from Joe Maddalena who is considered one of the world’s leading appraisal experts in historical items.
• What movies are hot and which are not!
• Why television artifacts outsell vintage Hollywood!
On the Auction:
MAGNUM PI FERRARI AND THE KNIGHT RIDER “K.I.T.T.”, TWO OF TV’S MOST FAMOUS CARS TO BE AUCTIONED BY PROFILES IN HISTORY ON JULY 30BEVERLY HILLS, July 13 —-Magnum PI’s Ferrari (driven by Tom Selleck – TV series ran from 1980-1988) and K.I.T.T., the Knight Rider car (driven by David Hasselhoff – TV Series ran from 1982-1986) considered two of pop culture’s most memorable cars, along with more than 350 other memorable Hollywood film and television collectible items, valued at over one million dollars will be auctioned off on Friday, July 30th, by Beverly Hills-based Profiles in History. The Auction will be held at Profiles In History’s offices at 110 N. Doheny Drive. This will be Maddalena's 19th auction of collectibles, having started in 1995. Since its beginning his company has auctioned thousands of items for cumulative sales of more than 20 million.
Among other highlights to be auctioned July 30 are the original jeweled dragon armature used in MGM's 1962 production of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, designed, sculpted and built by the late artist Wah Chang, this piece is one of the largest, most impressive stop motion figures ever made for a motion picture, measuring three feet long. It's value is estimated betweeen $65,000 to $85,000.
Among the very memorable Hollywood collectibles to be auctioned on July 30:
1979 Ferrari 308 GTS used by Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I. Listed by the Ferrari Club as the earliest known Magnum Ferrari.
presale estimate $60,000-80,000
Original “K.I.T.T.” used by David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider
presale estimate $40,000-60,000
Daryl Hannah’s “Hero” mermaid tail from Splash
presale estimate $15,000-20,000
Steve McQueen’s Winchester rifle from The Magnificent Seven
presale estimate $5,000-7,000
Test blouse worn by Judy Garland as “Dorothy” for The Wizard of Oz
presale estimate $8,000-10,000
Lon Chaney, Sr. pin-striped suit worn in MGM’s 1930 production of The Unholy Three. The most important complete “Hero” horror costume to ever come to auction.
presale estimate 15,000-18,000
James Cagney’s WWI Army uniform from The Fighting 69th
presale estimate $2,500-3,500
James Gandolfini white long-sleeve shirt from The Sopranos
presale estimate $500-700
Alicia Silverstone signature skirt and jacket from Clueless
presale estimate $4,000-6,000
Morton Haack costume design for “Dr. Zaius” in Planet of the Apes (1968)
presale estimate $5,000-7,000
-more-
Robin Hood book signed by Errol Flynn and the cast of Warner Bros.’ 1938 production The Adventures of Robin Hood
presale estimate $8,000-10,000
Archive of original items from Gone With the Wind, including the original final shooting script, Walter Plunkett’s costume sketch of Clark Gable as “Rhett Butler” and Confederate jacket worn by Leslie Howard as “Ashley Wilkes”.
Frank Sinatra’s jacket worn in final song number from Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1948)
presale estimate $6,000-8,000
Michael Keaton original cowl and lifemask from Batman Returns with letter from Director Tim Burton
presale estimate $6,000-8,000
Complete flying costume from Disney’s The Rocketeer including rocket pack
presale estimate $20,000-30,000Among the top items auctioned during the past year by Profiles in History were Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress from My Fair Lady, designed by Academy Award® winner Cecil Beaton that sold for $118,000; The Black Beauty car driven by Bruce Lee who played “Kato” in the original Green Hornet television series that sold for $192,050.; Captain Kirk’s Commander chair from the 1960’s Star Trek series, that sold for $305,000; and the Superman costume worn by George Reeves in the 1955 TV series The Adventures of Superman, which sold for $129,000.
As with previous Profiles in History auctions, bidders attend in person or bid by phone or fax, or by simultaneous live internet hookup through e-Bay Live Auctions (www.ebaylive auctions.com) which reaches buyers around the world.
Said Maddalena:
"The passion to own and collect Hollywood film and television memorabilia is a worldwide phenomenon that gets bigger and bigger every year. Ownership of a favorite piece seems to contribute to a person’s happiness as they reminisce the past.”Profiles In History is the number one company in the world for live and simultaneous internet Hollywood memorabilia auctions.
For more information about past and future Profiles in History auctions, conducted four times a year, and about Profiles in History and Maddalena can be accessed through the company's website at www.profilesinhistory.com.
