This is the actual 1966 "Press Release" for the replica Batmobiles
Designed exclusively for the Batman, ABC television series produced by Mr. William Dozier and filmed at 20th Century-Fox Studios in Hollywood.
This automotive wonder was styled and engineered with the many different special effects innovations by Barris Kustom City, North Hollywood, California, and is insured for one million dollars.
This vehicle started out as a Ford prototype chassis powered with a Thunderbird 428 V-8 engine. Weight is 3000 pounds and has completely hand formed Owens-Corning Fiberglass body. Wheel base is 129 inches. Overall length is 225 inches and the hand high top height is 48 inches.
This vehicle is also equipped with the latest Ford convenience control panel including warning lights for door ajar, safety belts, low fuel and park plus door locks. There has also been installed Ford fingertip control lane-changing and turn signals and emergency flasher. Gas consumption is electrically supplied by Dual Depree pumps from Moon spun aluminum tank.
Front end design characteristic is the face of a bat with the hood scoop extending down into the frontal area accentuating the nose. Right and left eyes extend into the ears with dual 450 watt lasser beams installed in amber reflective lenses. Hood scoop follows the front area with a hydraulically operated steel chain and cable cutter blade. Hidden behind the ears are functional headlights for normal street driving. The grille cavity is the mouth of the bat with the internal mounted rockets.
Dual 84 inch rear bat fins are in line with bullet proof steel as added protection for Batman and Robin. Operable red reflective taillights are mounted in the rear of the bat fins. Four 6 inch flared eyebrow bullet proof wheels wells are formed and used as tire protectors. Ten inch wide Rader wheels made of steel and power thrust alloy use traction grip Oval Firestone tires. The rear upper panel has triple rocket tubes and are on an automatic theft control system with shooting colored fire rockets. All electrical system is 12 volt Autolite with a converter for AC 110 outlets.
360 degree turning is made possible by pulling the emergency bat turn lever that releases and billows the bat impression twin parachutes on a 25 foot nylon cord. Turbine exhaust finned air cooling rear tube is mounted on the V cavity rear grille section with both parachutes installed on each side.
Twin aircraft streamlined plexi-glass bubble windshields and top section are made bullet proof and matching in design. The center safety roll bar arch is made of alloy steel and equipped with operable flashing lights, right and left trouble shooters and miscellaneous warning lights, and then attached to the double bubble top.
Twin body contoured air foam bucket seats are formed into the cab compartment of Scottish grain black naugahyde in horseshoe designs, pleats and rolls, black nylon shoulder body and safety belts are fitted for Batman and Robin. The center consul incorporates the power accelerator T arm and the Batman fire extinguisher. Steering wheel incorporates right and left turn indicator buttons made in half aircraft design with all the dials, gauges and speedo installed in center hub.
The dash is equipped with many different Batman innovations such as the Batscope that is hooked up with a revolving closed circuit antenna to bring the Batman full vision plus the Bateye switch for anti-theft control, the antenna is for an information radio wave pickup of messages and computering from the Batcave with an electronic unit installed in trunk. A Detect-a-scope is used to determine the area in which Batman or Robin are in, also the Batray reactors and lasser beam button controls, plus many flashing warning lights and directional electronic systems. Attached to the anti-fire theft control systems are swivel 5-way nozzles that eliminate any fire throughout the vehicle. Ad double cable control exhaust cutout system are used for sound volume.
To finish off this different one of a kind vehicle are 40 coats of nitro-cellulose velvet glow bat fuzz black and then is trimmed in an outline of fluorescent cereise.