HomeMediaKapow! The original Batmobile is for sale again

Kapow! The original Batmobile is for sale again

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The Batmobile on display in the Barrett-Jackson Collection Showroom | Bob Golfen
The Batmobile on display in the Barrett-Jackson Collection Showroom | Bob Golfen

Remember all the hoopla that accompanied the sale of the original Batmobile at Barrett-Jackson?

That was in January 2013, when the enormous Scottsdale auction arena was packed with a shrieking, standing-room-only crowd as the Batmobile rolled up on stage as the “Batman” theme song from the 1960’s TV show blasted overhead. George Barris, the famed King of Kustomizers who designed the TV prop car, was on the auction block, along with former motorsports model Linda Vaughn, who danced on stage dressed as Batgirl.

George Barris and Linda Evans as Batgirl on stage for the Batmobile sale | Bob Golfen
George Barris and Linda Evans as Batgirl at the sale | Bob Golfen

Bidding on the Batmobile was frenetic, building in size and volume as the spectators cheered. The iconic car was finally hammered sold at $4.2 million, an astounding figure, after a battle between two determined bidders that was finally decided with a coin toss. The final tally, including auction fee: $4.62 million.

The Batmobile sale was pure theater, wildly over the top even by Barrett-Jackson standards.

“Was that not electric in that room?” Craig Jackson, CEO of the auction company, said the next day. “That was just a surreal moment.”

Now, the Batmobile is for sale once again, although this time in a considerably more-subdued fashion. Quietly, the Phoenix businessman who bought the Batmobile has consigned it to Barrett-Jackson’s Collection Showroom in Scottsdale, where it sits among the muscle cars and classics waiting for another Batman fan to pony up for this historic piece of television lore.

The price tag is $5 million, according to showroom manager Muffy Bennett, although the owner is accepting offers.

The Batmobile’s array of controls and gadgets | Barrett-Jackson
The Batmobile’s array of controls and gadgets | Barrett-Jackson

Set in the showroom window for anyone driving down Scottsdale Road to see, the Batmobile looks oddly forlorn, like an aging actor seeking recognition once again. But for those who remember the Batmobile thundering out of the Batcave on yet another crime-fighting mission on the Batman show, the sight of it festooned with all its faux gadgetry is exciting because here it is, the one-and-only original Batmobile as seen on TV so long ago.

Getting up close and looking inside, there are the controls and famous Batphone (which is actually a red plastic toy) that Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin used for battling such villains as The Joker and The Penguin. The Batman show was famously camp, and the Batmobile shows the twists of ironic humor in its bold labels and imaginative action gear.

In 1965, George Barris and his crew built the Batmobile in just a few weeks after receiving the order from ABC producer William Dozier who wanted a unique car for the upcoming TV series. Barris had just the template for the project, the 1955 Lincoln Futura show car – a bubble-top concept built by Italian coachbuilder Ghia – which he had been storing after buying it from Ford for $1.

George and Jared Barris drive the Batmobile out for the last time | Bob Golfen
George and Jared Barris drive the Batmobile out of the North Hollywood shop for the last time | Bob Golfen

The Batmobile was a huge hit on the TV show, becoming as least as big a star as the human actors. The car also became the best-known of all Barris creations.

After the Batman show folded and the car retired, it was returned to Barris, who made three replicas using molds of the original. The Batmobile and its replicas became regulars on the show circuit.

The Batmobile left Barris Kustom Industries in North Hollywood for the final time in December 2012, headed for the Barrett-Jackson auction. The impending sale of the Batmobile was highly publicized, resulting in the frenzy at the auction.

Bennett shrugs at the lack of attention for the current Batmobile sale, noting that the car has not been actively marketed. Rather, the idea is to test the waters to determine interest.

Meanwhile, anybody in or around Scottsdale can drop by the Barrett-Jackson showroom for a close-up look at the original Batmobile. And maybe make an offer.

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.
  1. George Barris is a very creative guy and I hope he got some of the money because he does not have much income. I have seen a number of his cars up close and they served a purpose for TV but not very well made a lot of just junk yard stuff painted up nice!

  2. In a tent that holds at least 10,000 people, the two final bidders were sitting three feet away from each and I was sitting right next to one of them. It was the wildest 10 minutes in car auction history and I was right in the middle of it. I have a long, great story about the event. Now, it’s for sale again but I have a hard time believing it will come close to what the winning bidder paid for it.

  3. Not a bad price, for a piece of junk yard stuff painted up nice. Great job Mr. Barris and again thank you for renewing my memories, keeping these cars alive. If only I lived closer I would be over for a cup of coffee and a trip down memory lane…thanks and God Bless.

  4. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced…new seller will take a bath…im sure he can afford that bath….

  5. Wish I could afford it – I’d pay any price for the original Batmobile, if only just to keep those sweet memories alive! Nicely done, George!

  6. I remember many short scenes from the original series with this car that appeared to be on fast forward, definitely worth a trip to Barrett Jackson’s showroom to see it sitting still.
    I hope the seller can get at least what he paid for it while it’s still relevant.

  7. Wow! Two completely different offerings of the “Original Batmobile” in the same newsletter. Good for a laugh, I guess. Still looking for the “Original Jetson” vehicle. Maybe next week, eh?

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