All About the Adam West Batmobile
The Lincoln Futura may have only cost $1.00 to buy, but the memories it created on the '60s Batman TV show last a lifetime. How much is the Batmobile worth now?
Written by Elaine Duvet
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
With the recent 2022 release of The Batman starring Robert Pattison, you may have yourself wondering where it all began—with the Batmobile, that is.
The golden era of Batman with Adam West wasn’t dark, brooding, and emotional. Though the live-action 1960s Batman character was uptight and tightly wound, he and his car were in on the joke.
However, the car wasn’t a completely custom build (like Chris Nolan’s Tumbler). Check out what we know about the
famous old-school Batmobile
.The first Batmobile was a Lincoln Futura
We’re used to seeing Batman ride alone in recent movies, but that wasn’t the case on TV. While the superhero didn’t need luxury, he did need two seats. One for Batman and one for Robin (played by Burt Ward).
The first-ever Batmobile was created by Forrest Robinson, borrowing the chassis of a classic 1956 Oldsmobile 88. According to
CarBuzz
, the vehicle “was used for a short while as a promotional vehicle by DC Comics before being replaced by the iconic batmobile built by George Barris for the Adam West TV series.”The Barris Batmobile was based on the 1955
Lincoln
Futura concept car. “The Futura first hit the auto show scene in 1954 and was built by hand in Turin, Italy, at a cost of $250,000 (about $2.2 million today),” CarBuzz notes. It also sported a 6.0-liter V8 engine nestled under the bonnet. But for the car’s braking and visibility—let’s just rely on some movie magic and pretend both function optimally.
The iconic concept was brought to life by Bill Schmidt and John Najjar, which they later sold to Barris for mere pennies. And thanks to Barris, in 1966 the Batmobile was born.
MORE: What Happened to the ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ Car?
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Thinking outside the box
Remember the oil spreader? The smokescreen? The bat turn? Barris and his team had fun getting creative with this famed Hollywood car.
After trying out some gray primer, Barris’ team pivoted with a black gloss layer with vibrant red highlights. The team also installed tools like rockets and a computer. “With a modest budget, the team looked to save money where they could,”
HotsCars
tell us. For example, a paint can was used as the rear-mounted jet. And parachutes that drag cars use to slow down were deemed the “Batchutes.”
These resourceful elements complimented the fun tone of Adam West’s TV show. In fact, “with the comic and the cartoon trying to emulate the show’s success, they iterated on the Futura’s design, retaining the bubble-like cockpit,” according to HotCars.
Once the dark and gritty Batman era began with Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader, fans had to bid the quirky Batmobile adieu.
Getting the Lincoln Futura to set
When Barris was commissioned to create the Batmobile, he was given 15 days and $15,000 (about $140,000 today). Not bad, since Barris claims he bought the Futura concept for only $1.00.
Though it may be enough money to buy you a Porsche 911, it wouldn’t cut it for today’s industry, as The Tumbler cost about $1,000,000 to put together. Most of the budget went towards adding fun accessories to help Batman escape from various situations.
However, because the producers didn’t also have a stunt car, the Batmobile got damaged all the time. Eventually, production opted to get five more Batmobiles to set.
According to HotCars, “Two more used the Ford Galaxie chassis with a fiberglass body that replicated the Batmobile’s look.” The two vehicles were even toured around publicly at events.
In 2013, Barris sold the Batmobile to an
Arizona
collector at an auction for $4.6 million dollars. The seller then put the famous car up for sale for $5 million dollars.He's known for his Barris Kustom workshop, the Batmobile wasn’t the only iconic car Barris gave to the world. According to HotCars, “The designer’s resume includes everything from K.I.T.T. from “Knight Rider” and Alvin’s Acorn Safety Car from “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” He also enjoys customizing hot rods.
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