Original Batmobile To Be Auctioned For the First Time Ever 51
Zothecula writes "In the past few years, not only has the Corvette-like Batmobile from Batman Returns been put up for auction, but a jet-powered replica of that same style of Batmobile has also been created. A drivable copy of the Dark Knight-era Tumbler has likewise been built, along with a working replica of the associated Bat Pod motorcycle. For many people, however, the only 'true' Batmobile is the original version driven by Adam West in the 1960s TV series – and it's about to be put on the auction block, for the first time ever."
Nice Looking Car (Score:2)
For many people, however, the only 'true' Batmobile is the original version driven by Adam West in the 1960s TV series
Well if you want to get all LATFH about it, the first vehicle labeled "Batmobile" was a red sedan in Detective Comics #27 released in May of 1939 [wikipedia.org].
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For many people, however, the only 'true' Batmobile is the original version driven by Adam West in the 1960s TV series
Well if you want to get all LATFH about it, the first vehicle labeled "Batmobile" was a red sedan in Detective Comics #27 released in May of 1939 [wikipedia.org].
Fortunately Batman's taste has improved with time.
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Fortunately Batman's taste has improved with time.
no, he's become less green. the first ran on carbon neutral nuclear power
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Mmmmm . . . carbon neutral nuclear waste. How green it is.
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ridiculous meme (Score:2)
the amount of fossil fuel to get uranium out of the ground is minute, essentially zero compared to the energy it produces. It's paying a penny to get a ten dollar bill. someone who can't do arithmetic brought up that point and ignoramuses have been aping it ever since.
Holy Heart Failures!!! (Score:3)
I always LOVED that car, and yes, I'm old enough for it to be the definitive Batmobile.
I'd love to pull a Bat-turn on I-10 one day.........again, but in that car rather than my own.
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I always LOVED that car, and yes, I'm old enough for it to be the definitive Batmobile.
I'd love to pull a Bat-turn on I-10 one day.........again, but in that car rather than my own.
It's the definitive Batmobile to me also. I was old enough to still enjoy the (first rounds of) re-runs, and see it in an "antique" auto museum close to the area I grew up. I remember making a point of touching it, to see if it was a real car. Ah, the good old days.
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Hell, I still have around somewhere my old (Corgi brand?) Batmobile and Batboat from what I was a kid. Cast metal, solid toys...I think the batmobile had the chain cutter that would flip out the front when you pushed a button, and little plasti
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How much?!
http://holysmokesbatman.com/tracks/holy-bargain-basements.html [holysmokesbatman.com]
It was originally a concept car... (Score:5, Informative)
So it's like buying two amazing cars in one! A Ghia body worked over by George Barris.
Safety Bat (Score:3)
Cast aluminum dashboard [gizmag.com] cladding was well-known for its cushioning ability in the 1960's
Re:Safety Bat (Score:4)
From that picture:
I love that in 1966, having a phone in a car was considering an amazing sci-fi gadget for only a superhero to have.
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Yeah, and bright red reproductions of vintage french telephones just scream world-saving super-hero.
Or something.
Re:Safety Bat (Score:5, Funny)
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Your face is the crumple zone
I'm so using that. Thanks. :)
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Almost all cars in the sixties had STEEL dashes, no seat belts (let alone air bags), drum brakes and no ABS, and no crumple zones.
Unsafe at any speed.
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The first car I owned (1962 Chevy half-ton) had those features and a non-collapsible steering column!
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Meanwhile in Sweden:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_96 [wikipedia.org]
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_96 [wikipedia.org]
"1962: 95:ans fyrvÃxlade lÃ¥da erbjuds som extrautrustning pÃ¥ vissa marknader, dock inte i Sverige. I januari 1962 infÃrs bilbÃlten som standard."
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_95 [wikipedia.org]
"1962: Tillverkningen flyttas till TrollhÃttan. I januari 1962 infÃrs bilbÃlten som standard."
Re:Safety Bat (Score:4, Funny)
Meanwhile on Slashdot:
2012: Unicode nowhere to be found.
I suppose I could just as well had written 2013..
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Almost all cars in the sixties had STEEL dashes, no seat belts (let alone air bags), drum brakes and no ABS, and no crumple zones
The car I grew up riding in as a kid was a '62 Chevy. It had lots of vinyl padding on the dash (I remember banging my nose on it as a kid) and seat belts for everyone (lap belts only).
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Lap seat belts were optional on domestic cars from the early 50's through 1967. In 1968, they became mandatory. 1964 was the first year for required padded dashes. The big 3 offered them across the line much earlier though. Shoulder belts became required in 1971.
IIRC, Tucker released the first padded dash on a domestic car.
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Unsafe at any speed [wikipedia.org] was the title of a book by Ralph Nader in 1965 detailing resistance by car manufacturers to the introduction of safety features, like seat belts, and their general reluctance to spend money on improving safety.
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Ideal buyer (Score:4, Funny)
I really really hope Adam West is putting in a bid for this. After all, nobody messes with Adam We.
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Might wanna repost that one story up ;)
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Dear Lord, he used the bat mobile to send his post across a comment thread! Amazing!
Original? Well, sort of. (Score:4, Informative)
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Where is the bat-fuzz??? (Score:3, Informative)
I've driven the Futura-based Batmobile, trust me, all the go-fast-drive-hard stuff in the TV series was eventually done with fiberglass replicars. Plus it's sad to see it painted now. Barris originally flocked the car with 'bat-fuzz'. A pain in the a$$ to clean, err, vacuum.
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I saw the "flocked" car in a parade when I was a kid, and actually got to touch it after the parade when they were getting ready to transport it to its next destination. I'm not sure who brought it out, but the guy told me that they had originally painted it black but the glossy finish made it very difficult to film correctly due to reflections, flashes, etc. Therefore, the whole car was covered with a sort of velvet material. Very cool,but I'm sure it was a pain to take care of, and I imagine it wouldn'
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When I saw it many years ago, it had the fuzzy finish. And a placard reading "Don't you dare touch this vehicle. Commissioner Gordon" ...
I touched it anyways, when the staff wasn't looking :-)
Famous quote (Score:3, Funny)
Tricia Takanawa: Here comes Mayor Adam West himself. Mr. West, do you have any words for our viewers?
Mayor Adam West: Yes: box, toaster, aluminum, maple syrup- no I take that one back. I'm gonna hold on to that one.
Tricia Takanawa: Thank you, Mayor West.
Quibble with the article (Score:2)
Looks like they didn't do much proofing. It was Starsky and Hutch's Torino. And, it was Green Hornet's "Black Beauty" ('64-66 Imperial).
Both are great cars with many great replicas built!
Paging Paul Allen (Score:2)
Way back when dinosaurs ruled the earth... (Score:2)
Back before Universal Studios was a tourist trap (back in the mid 60s,) people (with friends at the studio) could come to visit and with proper escorts could even watch filming on sets... and yes, there were some in fact tours and thinks so visitors to do. For instance you could play with props from "Land of the Giants" it was kinda fun. But the coolest thing I did was sit in the batmobile. I know, it was more of 60s pimp-mobile, but in the mid 60s it was the coolest thing you were gonna do that didn't invo