The ‘’Real’’ Batmobile Is Up For Auction
With the revival of the Batman franchise a few years ago, the vehicle that we most closely associate with the black-clad hero is the Tumbler, the big matte-black tank that roamed Gotham City. However, as impressive as it is, each generation has their own Batmobile: '90s kids remember the long and sleek black car that Michael Keaton drove (in retrospect, it is probably the best part of that movie), while people who grew up in the sixties know the black and orange car created by George Barris in 1966. That car is often referred to as the first ‘’real’’ Batmobile (real in the sense that a running model was built, instead of just drawn in a cartoon).
This is actually incorrect, however, as the first car to be registered as a Batmobile was actually built in 1963, and fanatics of the series will recognize many of the styling cues on the car, which were taken from the forties and fifties comics.
Based on a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 and powered by a 324 cubic inch Rocket V8, the vehicle is covered in a one-off body. It was used as a promotional vehicle for a while, and then slowly faded into obscurity. In 2008, the Batmobile was found again, and its new owner decided to offer it a complete restoration. It is now as shiny as it was 41 years ago, and is offered for sale at Heritage Auction with a starting price of $90,000.