Barris has owned the famous Batmobile for nearly a half century, and this will be the first time the authentic TV car has ever been offered for sale.
This is the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that was heavily modified by Barris, known as the ?King of Kustomizers,? to become the original Batmobile in the campy Batman series, which ran from 1966 to 1968, starring Adam West in the title role and Burt Ward as Robin.
George Barris, who designed and built a number of famous cars for TV shows, has kept the Batmobile in his personal collection. (Photo: Barris Kustoms) The Batmobile is scheduled to cross the block during the ?prime-time? evening sale on Saturday, January 19. The iconic piece of TV history remains in excellent original condition, and the sale includes memorabilia and documentation from Barris's personal archives.
?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,? said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. ?This vehicle not only marks the significant Bat logo that sits on the middle of its door, but a time in television history where they defied the odds of making a car the real star of the show.?
In August 1965, the producers of the upcoming Batman series approached Barris with a proposition. Could he and his customizing crew create a convincing Batmobile for the new show? There was just one catch: it had to be completed and ready for studio work in less than three weeks.
It so happened that Barris was in possession of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that seemed made to order, which he had purchased several years earlier from Ford for a total of one dollar. The 19-foot-long, two-seat, bubble-topped prototype was hand-built in 1954 by Ghia Body Works in Turin, Italy, and unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show. It was promoted by Ford as a test bed for future technology.
It took Barris and his crew just 15 days and $15,000 to transform the Futura into the Batmobile. Among its exotic features is the wide array of faux Bat gadgets that turned the Batmobile into a make-believe crime fighter.
Among them: Cable Cutter Blade, Bat Ray Projector, Batscope, Bat Eye Switch, Police Band Cut-In Switch, Automatic Tire Inflation Device, Remote Batcomputer, Emergency Bat Turn Lever, Anti-Fire Activator, Bat Smoke, Bat Photoscope and, of course, the famous Batphone.
?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,? said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson.
The 42nd annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction takes place at WestWorld from Jan. 13-20, with live coverage in SPEED TV. For information and tickets, 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
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