• Peg It on GarageMonkey
VINTAGE: The Original Batmobile Heads For Barrett-Jackson
The famous superhero car from the ’60s TV show ‘Batman’ will be trucked from LA to Scottsdale to cross the block at the January collector-car auction.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted December 07, 2012   Scottsdale, AZ
George Barris has kept the original Batmobile in his collection since the ’60s TV show, never before offering it for sale. (Photo: Jana DeHart)
The original Batmobile goes on the road once again Tuesday when it is transported from creator George Barris’ collection in Los Angeles to Scottsdale, Arizona, to be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson collector-car event in January.

The world-famous TV car built by Barris and his customizing crew in 1965 for a starring role in the Batman show will be loaded into a van Tuesday morning for the 380-mile trip to Scottsdale, where it will be delivered to Barrett-Jackson.

The Batmobile will be a star attraction at the January auction, marking the first time the iconic TV car has ever been offered for sale. Barris has kept the Batmobile in his possession since it was driven in the 1966-68 television show, although it has made many appearances at auto shows and other events through the years.

The custom-car project was famously built at Barris’ shop in just 15 days after the legendary “King of Kustomizers” was approached by the producers of the upcoming Batman series, who needed the car built within weeks to appear in the show. The Batmobile is based on the 1955 Lincoln Futura show car that Barris already had in his possession, and he and his crew heavily modified it into one of the best-know vehicles in TV history.

Among the car’s special features created for TV are the many faux crime-fighting gadgets used by Batman, such as the Bat Ray, Bat Computer, Bat Smoke and the memorable Bat Phone.

The auction of the Batmobile is scheduled for Jan. 19 during the Saturday “prime time” sale at Barrett-Jackson. The winning bidder of the Batmobile will also receive memorabilia and documentation from Barris's personal archives.

The January auction runs Jan. 13-20 at WestWorld in Scottsdale, with live coverage on SPEED TV.

For more information about the auction and the sale of the Batmobile, see Barrett-Jackson.com.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
bob_golfen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Golfen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.