Replica #4--The Dragster

Original Door Bat Design	Builder	Date Built	Engine	Chassis	Body Construction	Reason Created	Weight	Current Owner	Last known Sale Price
	Barris Kustom City	October 1966	428ci Holman & Moody	1966 Ford Galaxie	Fiberglass	Exhibition & Drag Racing	3800lb	Doug Jackson	12/98-$95,000 6/00-$217,000* *Not confirmed

The "Dragster" Batmobile was built in late '66 and utilized in '67 for exhibition runs at local dragstrips throughout the U.S. They included Cecil County Dragway, Dover Drag Strip, Motor City Dragway, Lions Drag Strip, Island Dragway, Richmond Dragway and the Irwindale Raceway. The car had a more powerful engine than its brothers, a bigger wheel & tire combo and the only replica that shot flames from the turbine exhaust. When professionally driven by "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry, it could run the 1/4 mile in 12 seconds while approaching speeds of 117 mph with "loud exhaust and flames belching out of the tail pipes." In 1967 at Island Dragway in NJ, "Many youngsters were chosen at random with lucky tickets to ride in either of the two vehicles. This proved very exciting for the selected children, since all were anxious to ride in their hero's fabulous Batmobile and Batcycle." Click here to watch a 1967 video of Bill Shrewsberry driving the Batmobile and read my 2008 interview with Bill here.


"In February 1967, my parents took my sister Terri and me to the car show at the Oakland Coliseum Arena (Oakland, CA). There were tons of Hot Rods there, but the car that caught my attention the most was The Batmobile." Tom Young

Courtesy of Scott Nonnenman	Courtesy of Scott Nonnenman	Irwindale Racetrack	Bill Shrewsberry driving	Bill Shrewsberry at Irwindale Racetrack	Cecil County Dragway in late 1967
Getting loaded onto its trailer	Getting loaded onto its trailer	The Bat-wagon	Bill Shrewsberry	Irwindale Racetrack	Irwindale Racetrack
Irwindale Racetrack	The 428 ci engine	1967 Newspaper article	1967	1967	A close-up of the Rader rims
1968 car show in Phoenix, AZ	George Barris 1970	George Barris 1970	George Barris 1970	1970	Circa 1970's
Circa 1970's	Mid 1980's	Wade Astin in 1991	Interior	Tazewell, VA in 1991	Tazewell, VA in 1991
Tazewell, VA in 1991	1993	1993	Philadelphia Civic Center 1993	1993	Gatlinburg, TN
Nashville, TN	Nashville, TN	Nashville, TN	Beacon	"The Dragster"	Side view
Chain Cutter	The Dragster in 2000	The Dragster in 2000	Batmobile & Bat-Viper *	2001 Palo Alto, CA	2001 Palo Alto, CA
2001 *	2001 Palo Alto, CA	Batgirl *	2001 *	June 2005	June 2005
June 2005	June 2005	June 2005	June 2005

* Thanks to Maurice from the Northern CA, Viper Club of America for sharing these photos!

	My visit with the #4 Batmobile BAY AREA, CA, June 26, 2001 - I was fortunate enough to get a personal tour of the #4 Batmobile from its current owner, Doug Jackson. Doug bought the “Dragster” approximately 2 years ago from Ralph Spencer of Florida. Nestled in its own Batcave in the Bay Area, CA., you will not find any atomic piles or Bat-computers there, but a friendly dog named “Elvis”, a Porsche 911, and some Batman related pictures on the walls. The tour started with the engine compartment. We tilted up the heavy fiberglass hood to unveil the mammoth 428 cubic inch Holman & Moody engine. Doug went about showing me the modifications that were made under the hood, including: new front brakes (rotors, etc), master cylinder, air cleaner, new radiator, new driving lights, new electrical system, and much more. One of the coolest features on the car is the front saw blade. At the flick of a switch, the blade drops down the slot in the front nose area. A second switch turns on the saw blade which is then ready to cut through any obstacle that gets in its way. The next stop was the interior of the car. The Batmobile was treated to new seats (styled like the originals), seatbelts, steering wheel, carpet and a new front canopy (with the correct chrome trim too). The exterior has virtually remained unchanged except for 3 new pipes and new black cloth parachute packs. The car is even equipped with a working turbine-exhaust that shoots flames from the rear--Great for cooking up s'mores! Doug plans on continuing to fix up the car and displaying it at local car shows and charity events.






	BAY AREA, CA, April 14, 2002 - The "Dragster" is looking sharper than ever! I was taken for a spin in the Batmobile and able to take more photos of the car. It drives, rides & sounds like a 60's muscle car--Big & Loud! Yes, I even got to drive it too. To help restore the car to its original '66 condition Doug has done the following: Added Radir rims, 3 new pipes on the deck, and Barris/Ford insignias on the driver's side area. Thanks Doug!