TARGET 130306
The Iconic 1966 Batmobile
The main ground transportation used by DC Comics’ fictional characters Batman and Robin was originally a simple, nameless sedan in 1939, when it made its first appearance in Detective Comics # 27. As the years passed, it gained more colors, technology and power, to become arguably the most famous vehicle in the media: the Batmobile. Among all its incarnations, the iconic model created for the 1966-1968 Batman TV series still reigns supreme in the hearts and minds of its worldwide audience.
The Dynamic Duo cruises the fictional Gotham City in their very inconspicuous car.
In the late summer of 1965, the all-new Batman TV series was gearing up. When the show's production schedule was moved up, the job of creating the hero’s ride went to custom car builder George Barris (1925-2015). Having merely three weeks to build it, Barris decided to use the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln Futura concept car as the foundation for his masterpiece.
\ The 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car.
The Futura worked perfectly as a Batmobile, as it had many "bat" features built into the design already, such as the long fins and bubble canopies. According to Barris, he further enhanced the theme by converting the nose into an integrated bat mask, a first for the car. He also opened the wheel wells and modified the Futura's fins into subtle bat wings by extending their leading edges into the doors and scalloping the trailing edges. Once bodywork was complete, the car was painted gloss black with red trim to accentuate the various lines of the car. Three replicas were eventually built for promotional and exhibition purposes.
Batmobile in the making.
The innovative design featured an impressive array of bat-gadgets. In addition to the "atomic turbine engine" (alright… the car was powered by a blueprinted Ford V8), it had a nose-mounted chain slicer, lasers, rockets, an on-board telephone, radar, dash monitor, on-board computer and police beacon. If needed, the Batmobile was capable of a quick 180° "bat-turn" thanks to two rear-mounted 10' parachutes, emit smoke and spread nails to discourage pursuit. Some changes were made during the run of the series, including different license plates, a change in steering wheel, and the addition of extra gadgets such as the rear-facing camera and a battering ram.
Testing the 180° turn parachutes.
The Batmobile received several changes in the years since Batman ended. Most notably, the gloss black paint had been replaced with a flat black flocking, dubbed the "bat fuzz." An array of new and unidentified gadgets had been added, as well as extra antennas, placards, mirrors, a new steering wheel, and spoked "Euro" wheels. The only subtraction from the car was the bat logos, now absent from both doors. Later, the #1 car was returned to its gloss black finish, though many of the extra gadgets remain in place.
The car’s cockpit.
Red bats everywhere...
The following numbers are for those who want to exercise and assess their advanced remote viewing skills. If you need more, please visit the website referenced at the bottom of this page.
A tribute to its popularity, the 1966 Batmobile set a world record on January 19, 2013 when it sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for USD$ 4.2 million.
Leaving the Batcave under Wayne Manor at full speed...
... to solve another crime and arrest its perpetrators.
Considered by many the ultimate version, George Barris’s Batmobile went a long distance from its humble beginning, when in 1955 he bought that Lincoln Futura in a junkyard for only a dollar.
The artist and his globally acclaimed creation in 1966.
FEEDBACK MAP
The site associated to this target is the birthplace of the 1966 Batmobile, Barris Kustom Industries, located at 10811 Riverside Dr, North Hollywood, CA 91602, USA.
You can find almost everything that is to be known about the 1966 Batmobile – its history, detailed specifications and much more, including a massive photographical record – at this comprehensive website:
1966batmobile.com
All information you may want about the late George Barris and his company is available at
Barris Kustom Industry’s website
Many thanks to Jurandyr Fonseca, who provided this target