For Sale: The Original Batmobile

Holy sticker shock, Batman; the original Batmobile is for sale! You remember it, don’t you; that uniquely shaped, shiny black car with the neon orange stripes? Driven by the original Batman, Adam West, in the popular superhero show that ran from 1966-1968, the car has received its fair share of fanfare – and its legend continues in syndicated reruns of the Batman TV show.

 

Original Batmobile History

The car was first owned (and assembled) by Hollywood car customizer George Barris. In 1965, he bought a Ford-built concept car called the Lincoln Futura to use as the shell for the original Batmobile. Taking only about three weeks’ time, Barris constructed what would become one of the most iconic cars of all time. In case you’re too young to remember – or if you’ve since forgotten, the car contains gadgets such as rockets, a smoke machine, an oil slick maker and even a primitive anti-theft device.

 

Barris kept the vehicle until 2013, when he decided to sell it at a Barrett-Jackson auction. At that time, it sold for $4.6 million to an Arizona collector who wished to remain anonymous. This collector, who in true Batman fashion still chooses not to reveal his/her identity, has now decided to move on from it, too. They’re also using Barrett-Jackson to handle the transaction, but instead of an auction it’s going to be a simple retail transaction. In other words, if you are interested in buying the Batmobile, call them.

 

As you may imagine, a vehicle that is 50 years old has a few quirks. It occasionally needs a jump-start and the brakes aren’t the best – and as you can imagine, it isn’t very easy to get replacement parts for a 1965 Lincoln Futura concept car. But if you want your own piece of history and you have a large chunk of change burning a hole in your pocket; hey, who are we to judge!

 

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