Is this where 'Knight Rider' (term) comes from?

Ever since I was a kid, who started learning english about the same time as "Knight Rider" was on television, I wondered about the peculiar name of the show. It's translation to another language was even more peculiar (Basically "Knight Ace" or something like that - I guess they didn't know how to translate it, but then, who does?).

Even after learning a lot more english ever since, I never could quite figure out what the exact meaning of the term "Knight Rider" is, and where it comes from. To me, it never made a lot of sense.

When I bumped into this movie, I realized what it could mean - as a plural, having people who actually "ride" and play "knights", it actually does make some sense!

Now all I had to do was to use this comprehension and see how it could be adjusted to the famous TV show. Michael Knight is obviously the "Knight" (well, duh) - and he rides K.I.T.T., his faithful steed, his trusted mount, in order to save the "helpless" and the "powerless".

So in effect, he is a "Knight Rider", just like the people in this movie, the "Knightriders" - Knights who ride (motorcycles) are not that different from a Knight who rides a computerized car of the future.

But the name IS peculiar, so I was wondering whether the TV show creators actually got their inspiration from the name of this movie or not.

Chronologically, it would be possible. Does anyone have any factual information about this?