One of the most iconic cars in television history is back on the market…and it can be yours for only $5 million dollars! Batcave not included. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Barrett-Jackson showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona is selling the original Batmobile from the classic 1966 Batman TV series on behalf of businessman and lifelong Batman fan, Rick Champagne.
In 2013, Champagne became the first collector to own the ‘66 Batmobile when he paid $4.62 million for it at auction. At the time, Champagne said that he planned to put the Batmobile in his living room. A very sensible choice for a car, no?
It should be noted that this is no mere replica, though: this is the very first Batmobile that was created for the Batman television show. It was originally a 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura concept car that was initially designed by Bill Schmidt and built by Ghia for the 1955 Chicago Auto Show, before it was used in the 1959 movie It Started with a Kiss.
Legendary car customizer George Barris reportedly purchased the Lincoln Futura concept car for only $1 and “other considerations.” In 1965, Barris was hired to create the Batmobile for ABC’s Batman series, but was only given three weeks to do the job. Barris finished it in 15 days with a budget of $15,000, and the result was an unforgettable design that has withstood the test time.
Barris created three additional Batmobiles for the show based on his own design, but the car currently for sale is the one that started it all. Barris purchased the Batmobile from the studio after Batman was canceled and he proudly displayed it in his North Hollywood custom-car shop. Two years ago, that Batmobile was put up for auction where it was sold to Champagne.
It would take someone with a Bruce Wayne-level bank account to easily afford the ‘66 Batmobile at its current asking price. But isn’t it awesome?!
Batman fans, what would you give to be the proud owner of the ‘66 Batmobile? Call Commissioner Gordon and share your thoughts in the comments section!
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HT: Robot 6
Image Credits: The Barrett-Jackson Showroom
