Vehicle Description
Gee Willikers Batman, someone built a Batmobile that's better than
any vehicle Adam West ever drove! This replica Batmobile is the
ultimate collector's spectacle for old school crime fighters and
fans of the Caped Crusader alike. If you've got the resources of
Bruce Wayne and a desire to clean up the streets like the Dark
Knight (keep the cheesy one-liners to yourself please, for all of
Gotham's sake), then this 1975 Lincoln Mark IV Batmobile Replica is
a clear choice.
Chances are, if you were a kid in the last sixty years, you have
seen Batman and Robin rocket from the Batcave in the Batmobile,
racing to solve crimes, stop villains, and defend the innocent (all
while dancing the 'Batusi' in between fight scenes). The Caped
Crusader's vehicle of choice has appeared in many guises since its
debut in Detective Comics #27. The first Batmobile was a red 1939
Cadillac Series 75 convertible when the top was up, and Bruce
Wayne's daily driver when the top was down. When the 1960s TV show
aired, famed car customizer George Barris was commissioned to build
a new crime-fighting vehicle in just 15 days and for a mere $15K.
From those mild-mannered beginnings, Barris used the 1956 Lincoln
Futura concept car that he had purchased for $1 from Ford and built
the first of five Batmobiles. They were an instant hit, so much so
that Adam West even used one to Trick-or-Treat one year, and many
years later the original Batmobile sold at auction in 2013 for a
whopping $4.62 million dollars. POW! Batmobile replicas have
understandably been popping up a lot more frequently since that
auction, and the most popular are designed after George Barris'
custom creations. Modeled after the original 1966 Batmobile, this
1975 Lincoln Mark IV was completely transformed with those early
cars in mind, and it certainly has the right look and pretty much
all the same hardware. The bodywork is dead-on accurate, from the
big fins to the oversized mesh grilles fore and aft, the custom
glass over the cockpit that shields our heroes from diabolical
villains, and the jet-gloss black paint punctuated with that
all-familiar red-orange accent striping throughout. It's an older
build, so there are some signs of use and age in the fiberglass and
the black finish, but this Batmobile has spent the vast majority of
its life on display, so many of those light imperfections/drool
marks/Cheeto-dusted fingertips could be remedied with a proper
buff-and-wax. Other features include the big, scooped hood, the
flashing gumball light flanked by running lights on top, the triple
chrome exhaust-stacks protruding out back, and the parachute ready
to deploy in the rear. And yes, even the 'turbine' has a working
flame-thrower via a propane tank mounted behind the driver's seat,
although we'd advise against trying it out at home (unless you want
to turn your neighbor into Two Face).
Inside, the Lincoln cabin has been sculpted into a true 2-seater,
and it's beautifully finished and loaded with more Batman
nostalgia. Low-back leather buckets are split by a custom center
console that houses the shifter for the C6 automatic transmission
below, custom door panels were sculpted at the flanks, and the dash
is gull of wonderful gadgetry and various Batman paraphernalia.
Proper gauges, a host of switches and controls, and even the
Batphone are all standing by, including an on-board radar and
dash-mounted computer that will help you track down the evildoers
of the world. And like the exterior, there's slight wear
throughout, but if you're like us you'll be too mesmerized by the
sheer amount of detail that went into this build to even notice.
Even the trunk is filled with props and collectibles gathered
through the years.
Despite the novelty, this Batmobile can actually be driven, as it
comes powered by a more-than-capable 460 big block V8 mated to a C6
3-speed automatic transmission. There's a GPS-read speedometer that
accurately predicts the car's speed, although we're not going to be
the ones to take this Batmobile out on the highway, but
nevertheless by all accounts it can definitely handle itself out
there. Power steering and power front disc brakes drastically
improve this ample car's road manners, teaming with a heavy-duty
suspension that features an independent front set-up complete with
big coil springs, shocks, and a large swaybar. Out back you get
trailing arms, heavy-duty coil springs, and upgraded shocks - must
haves that keep the Batmobile's wicked stance intact - and the
9-inch rear end is geared, well, like a Lincoln's (since that's
exactly what it is), so it could potentially float down the highway
should you have to chase down a bad guy. A Flowmaster dual exhaust
system was added to kick-up the soundtrack, with turn-downs right
after the chambered mufflers emitting a throaty rumble that
perfectly matches the build's theme. 15-inch polished alloys
include custom Batman center caps, and they're wrapped in 295/50/15
Cooper Cobra radials that fill the big wheel wells nicely.
Strap in people, the Batman quotes and corny jokes that this
purpose-built Lincoln inspires are as long as Catwoman's tail.
All-kidding aside, this creation is so nice and so beautifully
executed that George Barris himself would crack a Joker's smile
while checking it out. Even Adam West and Burt Ward (TV's Batman
and Robin) were so impressed by it, they signed a plaque inside as
a 'tip of the cape' to the builders. A sign of respect from Batman
himself? What else do you need, answer the Bat Signal and call
today!
