Fanhome K.I.T.T. 1/8 scale model (Atalya, DeAgostini)

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In September 2021, Fanhome (DeAgostini/Atalya) began offering a 1/8 scale model of K.I.T.T. as a subscription magazine in Germany. The subscription includes parts for the 63 cm (24") model kit in 110 magazines, which you then assemble piece by piece. While issue 1 with the hood only cost only 1 Euro, issue 2 with the front was already 4.99 Euros and all other issues cost 11.99 Euros or 12.99 Euros each from issue 82 onwards. So you end up with around 1,329 Euros if you actually bought all the issues individually at retail. A subscription added 1 Euro postage per issue (another 110 Euros), and if you also wanted the matching display case, another 110 Euros were added.
I'm not a big fan of such subscriptions myself. Previously, there was also a DeLorean in 1/8 scale with a length of 52 cm (20"), which ended up costing around 1,500 Euros. That was more than twice as much what I paid for my 1/6 scale DeLorean (72 cm / 28" long!) - and I didn't have to assemble it myself first. I therefore decided not to subscribe for K.I.T.T., also because it was a season 1 model and I would have liked K.I.T.T. much more in the season 3 look (as is the case with my replica).
Nevertheless, I picked up a few individual issues. In addition to issue 1 (1 Euro for a magazine with the complete hood was fair enough), I ended up with various issues no. 5, which contained the scanner light, which I used in various places. I put one of them in my lenticular picture frame, my Blu-ray shelf and my rear window picture plate.
However, some friends of mine built the model completely and I quickly realized that I would probably like to have it in my collection. However, I don't really have the time to build such a model myself, so I decided to wait until the end of the subscription and then see if someone might sell their finished model - that's what happened with the DeLorean subscription model.
Shortly after the first models were completed in January 2024, there were already a few offers. The first one was snapped up by someone else. I wouldn't have saved anything on the price here, but the car had been given various mods to make it more true to the original. I was luckier with the second offer. After a few days, the seller lowered the asking price to a level that I was prepared to pay. However, he only offered pick-up near Dortmund. After some chatting, he was persuaded to send it by post at my own risk and the deal went through.
2 days later, the model arrived safe and sound. And so, in addition to my 3rd season K.I.T.T. (1/1 scale, approx. 5.10 meters), I also have a 1st season K.I.T.T. (1/8 scale, approx. 63 cm / 24"). Incidentally, the model is made of metal and weighs more than 8 kg (17 lbs)!
Some of the functions:
- Remote control via comlink watch (click image right)
- Lighting (headlights, pop-up headlights, rear lights, license plate)
- Scanner light with sound
- Dashboard lighting with delays and sounds
- Voice output of various 5 sentences (selectable in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish)
- Title music playback
- Footwell lighting comes on when you open the doors
- Brake light comes on when you press the brake pedal
- Hood, doors, side windows, T-Tops roofs, fuel filler cap and trunk lid can be opened
- Engine compartment is designed as a turbine
- Rotatable license plate (KNIGHT/KNI667/KNIGHT)
- Many intricate details such as hoses in the engine compartment, seat belts and rear roller blind made of fabric

My display case

But I still had one problem: where to put this huge model?
We have various display cabinets with movie fan merchandise in our living room. The only one that would have been suitable for the model was already filled with the Blu-ray set (whose cover features my K.I.T.T.) and the smaller models from HotWheels (1/18 scale) and Playmobil. They could go somewhere else if necessary, but then the model would be very high up so that it would be hard to see. Underneath would be better. Bumblebee and Johnny 5 (approx. 33 cm / 12") used to be there. But then they would have to go somewhere else.

Surprisingly, my wife agreed that they could move to the narrower shelf on the right-hand side of the TV. I hadn't expected this at all, as I've already taken over large parts of our living and dining area with my stuff, but she thought it was good that everything would go behind Plexiglas - then there's less dusting to do... 😜
So the two robots moved and a nice big compartment with a base area of approx. 69 x 36 cm and a height of approx. 39 cm became available for K.I.T.T.
As my display cases always have background images, I initially had the idea of recreating the SEMI, but soon discarded the idea in favor of the desert scene from the "Knight Rider" opening credits. In addition, the 4 Blu-ray digipacks with the side view of my K.I.T.T. were to be moved down to K.I.T.T. due to the space gained, so that the large box now also had more space in the top compartment and no longer had to stand at an angle. Additionally there now was room for my Doctor Collector box.
So that the digipacks don't have to stand on high, wobbly stands in order to see them behind the model, Turbine sent me another 4 empty digipacks, which I could now stick directly to the back wall. Of course, I wouldn't have done that with my actual digipacks. So the stand was no longer needed and nothing could slip. Many thanks once again to Turbine Medien for this 🙂
Goliath and KARR were originally supposed to be on the left and right side walls of the display case, waiting for K.I.T.T. in the desert landscape. However, I then decided to add a matching mirror to the left-hand side wall so that K.I.T.T. could also be seen from the front, so that the lights and scanner could also be seen. For the right-hand side, I then decided on a motif with the SEMI.

On the right-hand shelf, an approx. 54 cm high compartment became free. For this, I bought a 30 cm (12") E.T. figure and a small figure of Elliott and E.T. on the BMX bike, which "fly" in front of the background with a full moon motif. So now we also have E.T. in the living room, after our lifesize E.T. unfortunately never fitted in there 🙂

Next on 2004-08-21:
Knight Con 2004

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