To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' The Petersen Automotive
Museum Auction event, 8 December 2018.
Estimate:
$175,000 - $225,000
- An exceptional recreation of the iconic Barris-design
- Built on a '59 Lincoln chassis with an all-steel body
- The ultimate superhero toy for children and adults, alike
- Includes full array of Bat-gadgets and crime-fighting
accessories
Please note that this lot is offered on a Bill of Sale.
The Batmobile is arguably the most famous vehicle to appear on
television. When ABC decided to produce the adventures of Batman,
the task of creating the Batmobile was given to the famous custom
car builder, George Barris. Barris was given only three weeks to
produce the creation that would forever seal his name in the
history books.
To promote the show, Batmobiles toured the country, making
appearances at county fairs and race meets. There is no accurate
count on how many Batmobiles were originally built; but this car is
said to be the sixth example produced and built by Jay Orhrberg
Hollywood Cars, one of the premier movie car creators. It is
believed that this Batmobile was used to tour the U.S. highlighting
the dangers of alcohol and drugs to children.
Subsequent to its promotional duties, the car continued to have an
interesting history. It was sold from a private collector in Los
Angeles during the 1980s to a collector in Germany. It was then
purchased by a private museum in 1991. This world traveler resided
in the Cars of the Stars collection, considered to be the one of
the finest collections of film and television cars in the
world.
Importantly, this Batmobile was built on a 1959 Lincoln chassis
with a hand-built steel body (as opposed to fiberglass). It is
finished in the classic Batmobile livery of black with red
highlight lines and finished with Cragar wheels. The open cockpit
is decorated with round windshields and the interior is tailored
with black seats with orange piping, black carpet, a Bat-phone
mounted to the dash, custom steering wheel, and Batman symbols on
the doors. Powering this stunning Batmobile is a carbureted V-8
engine coupled with an automatic transmission.
Relive the golden age of television sci-fi crime fighting with a
well-traveled Batmobile that provides as much excitement and style
of the original George Barris interpretation.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ca18.
