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Original 1966 Batmobile up for auction

Barrett-Jackson to sell the TV car at the Scottsdale auction in January.

By AutoWeek Nov 30, 2012 12:49PM




“Holy one of one, Batman! They're selling your car at Barrett-Jackson!”


The 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that was heavily modified by George Barris to become the 1966 TV Batmobile will cross the block at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction on Saturday, Jan. 19.


“The 1966 Batmobile by George Barris is one of the most famous Hollywood cars in history, and it has become a true icon that has been carried from generation to generation of Batmobiles,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson.


The Futura concept was designed by the Lincoln Styling Department and was built by Ghia Body Works in Turin, Italy. The car was meant to be a rolling laboratory and included steering-wheel instruments, a push-button transmission, exterior microphones and a handful of other non-caped-crusader devices. After it appeared in It Started with a Kiss, Barris bought the car.


In 1965, 20th Century Fox and Greenway Productions tapped Barris to produce a Batmobile for the upcoming TV series. It only took Barris 15 days and $15,000 to transform the Futura.


The car houses a 390-cubic-inch V8 with a B&M hydro-automatic transmission. Gadgets—which we assume are disabled—include the nose-mounted cable-cutter blade, Bat Ray projector, Batscope, police band cut-in switch and many more.


“There are only a few things in life that are able to capture the soul of an era, and the Batmobile by George Barris did exactly that,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson.


-- Jake Lingeman

 

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1Comment
Ol Baby Boomer
Jan 24, 2013 6:54AM
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I was 6 and 7 years old when the Batman TV series came out, I was captivated then and thought at the time it was the coolest thing I ever saw. The Bat mobile was the main reason why, it is the design of the car! Its the coolest thing on 4 wheel still to this day. I watch the show today in re-runs and I can't hardly watch 5 minutes of the low budget and goofy storylines from back then, it's all I can do to watch....Until the Bat mobile shows up whether it's parked on the rotating parking stall in the Bat cave or screeching up in from of City Hall, the car is the coolest part of the whole show. The article is right though this car is one of the few icons that is burnt into the soul of an era. I'm glad to see the car restored and being so well taken care of, it easily could have gone the other way. Pretty Cool! 
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