The original 1966 Batmobile from the live action Batman television series, starring Adam West as the caped crusader, has been sold for the first time, going under the hammer at a US auction for $4.4 million (US$4.62 million).
Put up for sale by the car�??s creator, George Barris, the Hollywood icon is based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car originally created by Ford Motor Company and unveiled in a pearlescent Frost-Blue white paint finish at the 1955 Chicago auto show.
The 5.8-metre long, two-seat, bubble-topped Batmobile came to life after Barris had acquired the vehicle and was asked in 1965 by 20th Century Fox Television and William Dozier�??s Greenway Productions to produce a �??Batmobile�?? for the new television series. Given only 15 days and a budget of $15,000 to complete the task, Barris decided to turn the Lincoln Futura concept car into the most iconic crime-fighting vehicle ever made.
Sold through classic car auctioneers Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, the Batmobile features a 1956 6.4-litre Lincoln V8 engine and B&M Hydro Automatic transmission along with a carload of superhero-appropriate gadgets such as a Batphone, remote Batcomputer, Batsmoke, Batscope, Batray projector, Bateye switch, nose-mounted aluminium cable cutter blade, detect-a-scope, police band cut-in switch, and an automatic tyre inflation device.
Chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson, Craig Jackson, said he couldn�??t have been prouder to be involved with the car going up for sale for its very first time.
�??The 1966 Batmobile by George Barris is one of the most famous Hollywood cars in history and it has become a true icon that has been carried from generation to generation of Batmobiles to follow.�?�
President of Barrett-Jackson Steve Davis echoed the sentiments saying, �??There are only a few things in life that are able to capture the soul of an era and the Batmobile by George Barris did exactly that.�?�
Looking like relative bargains next to the Batmobile�??s $4 million-plus price tag, was a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe that sold for $1.9 million (US$2.035 million) and the first new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to be produced, selling for $950,000 (US$1 million), with the funds of the latter going to charity.
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