Maybe the coolest thing to come out of the 1966 Batman series was quite arguably...the Batmobile. America has had a longtime love affair with the automobile and nowhere is it showcased better than in Hollywood. In the 1966 Batman series Adam West and Burt Ward were cruising and crusading in a one of kind car that would be recognized the world over. However, prior to becoming known as "Batmobile I" it was the Lincoln Futura. Designed by Lincoln-Mercurys Chief Stylist Bill Schmidt, it was hand built by Ghia as a "One off" futuristic concept car, in Turin, Italy in 1955 with an estimated build cost of $250,000. Quite the fortune in the '50s.
A decade later in September 1965 George Barris was contracted by 20th Century Fox to build his proposed Batmobile. Noting the "batlike" features of the Futura, he chose this as his base car design. The only kicker? It had to be completed in three weeks for principle photography. On October 11, 1965 the Barris Batmobile was completed and delivered. In December of that same year the Lincoln Futura that was now the Batmobile was officially sold to Barris from Ford for the staggering price of .......ONE DOLLAR!
THE BATMOBILE TIMELINE
In 1966 Barris patented his Batmobile design and created three fiberglass copies which were 1700 pounds lighter than the original. The original remained in the ownership of Barris and would be rented out to Fox.
Below are listed some of the original requirements of the 1965 contract.
1. Switches and Hand-throttle knob for Turbo-electric drive.
2. Bing-bong warning bell and batlight flasher.
3. Mobile phone between seats with flasher.
4. Bat-scope with TV like viewing screen.
5. Anti-fire control system. (Flood of foam from secret nozzle)
6. Radar like screen that beeps and blips.
7. Bat Ray projection mechanism
In the end the fans got one of the most recognizable and beloved TV cars of all time. Even if the series seems extremely cheesy by todays standard......that is still One Cool Batmobile!
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.