This year is the 60th anniversary of the Batman TV series. I will be featuring different aspects of the show in my posts. This post celebrates the iconic Batmobile. It is a car that my young heart loved, and I still have it on my wish list – when I win the lottery I plan on getting one.
The Batmobile was an integral part of every episode of the show. Sleek looking with the bubble windows and distinctive fins, the Batmobile was filled with enough Bat gadgets to make James Bond envious. This series was the first time the Batmobile appeared in live action, previously only appearing in the comics before this show aired.
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| Barris in the Batmobile |
So, how did they build the legendary car? William Dozier, the creator of the show, turned to legendary car customizer George Barris – known as the "King of the Kustomizers." Barris welcomed the challenge of creating the car, but Dozier gave him only three weeks to do so because they would start filming their first episode of the series. Despite the pressure, Barris called it "a fun project."
Barris got the idea to use a concept car called the Lincoln Futura (1955), which had
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| The 1955 Lincoln Futura |
distinctive features similar to the Batmobile he envisioned. The car never succeeded on the market, and Barris was able to purchase one for $1. He then got to work turning a car that was a commercial dud into one of the most iconic cars ever to appear on a TV screen.
Barris crafted the Bat nose, enhanced the fins to be Bat-like, gave the car a rear turbine exhaust, and customized the bubble canopies. He then painted it a glossy black with flaming orange trim, and the Batmobile came into being.
Speaking of gadgets previously mentioned, the car was equipped with bulletproof windows, chain slicer, smoke emitter, and nail spreader. Its other features included a car phone, lasers, radar, Bat computer, ejector seats, and Bat-turn parachutes. It's a car that would make any little kid's heart beat faster.
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| The Dynamic Duo in the Batmobile |
I saw the Batmobile parked in New York City years ago – this is before I had a cell phone – so there are no pictures of me with it. It was part of a promotion and roped off, but it gleamed in the sunshine and, though I was all grown up, it made my little boy heart flutter.
The vehicle has appeared in different incarnations since the 1960s show, including Batman the Animated Series and various Batman movies. Despite all of them being cool in their own right, the classic 1966 Batmobile remains my favorite one. Now, I better go get that lottery ticket.
Come back here for more 60th Anniversary Batman content. Same Bat time, same Bat channel!
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