Batmobile auctioned for US$4.62million

Based on the Lincoln 'Futura' concept car from 1955, the Batmobile was created by George Barris on a super-tight deadline of only 15 days (and a similarly skinny budget of $15,000) for its starring role in the Batman TV series which first aired in 1966.

Barris acquired the Futura from Ford Motor Company (for only $1, legend has it) and it spent some years in the world-famous custom car builder's workshop. When production company Twentieth Century Fox approached Barris to build a custom car for the TV show, the timeframe saw Barris turn to the Futura, rather than create an all-new car from scratch.

The result still shows its Futura origins, but has a number of minor body modifications to the fins, front headlamp shrouds, wheelarches and cockpit area. The original pearlescent white paint had been resprayed red for the Futura's appearance in a 1959 movie, before it was resprayed by Barris' workshop team in the now iconic black with distinctive orange outlines.

As evidenced in numerous episodes of the TV series, the Batmobile was a fully operational, drivable car. Power came from a 390ci Lincoln V8 hooked up to a B&M automatic transmission. The famous turbine at the back was a prop, but the drag chutes were supposedly the real deal.

With its modifications, including numerous 'bat' devices, the finished Batmobile soon became a popular and regularly-featured part of the TV series. Since the last 1960s, the Batmobile has been reproduced in countless die cast and scale model replicas, and no doubt can be found in the homes of hundreds, if not thousands, of JUST CARS readers.

January's Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction on January 19 represented the first time the iconic TV car had been offered for auction since Barris purchased it in the early 1960s. Given it's rarity (there was only one created for the TV show, but numerous replicas for period Batman movies and car show appearances have been built since), and past life as a Ford show car, the Batmobile was expected to sell well.

At the fall of the hammer, the Batmobile sold for US$4.2 million. With buyer's premium, the final sale price was US$4.62 million (AU$4.43million approx.). At time of writing, this is believed to be the highest price paid for a movie/TV car at auction.

Images: copyright Jana DeHart, courtesy Barrett-Jackson.