| 1966 BATMOBILE | |
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| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Curb weight | 5500 lb |
| Wheelbase | 126 in. |
| Length | 225 in. |
| Width (Front) | 84 in. |
| Width (Rear) | 79 in. |
| Height | 48 in. |
| Fins | 84 in. |
| Owner | George Barris |
| Current location | North Hollywood, CA |
| Current estimated value | $2,000,000+ |
| ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN | |
| Engine | 390ci, V-8 |
| Transmission | B&M Hydro Automatic (2nd transmission) |
| CHASSIS & BODY | |
| Layout | Front engine/rear drive |
| Body Construction | Steel |
| Tires Used | Firestone Wide-Oval, Mickey Thompson and U.S. Royal |
| Wheels | 15x7 single rib Rader cast-alloy five spoke |
| Bat knock-off | Cast aluminum material and screwed to the Rader's hub |
| INTERIOR & EXTERIOR DETAILS | |
| Exterior color | "Velvet Bat-Fuzz Black" from Metalflake, Inc. |
| Trim color | 3/4" Fluorescent Cerise |
| Safety belts | Cumming & Sander impact safety belts |
| Emergency Bat-turn lever | Ansen "T" handle in "Candy Red" |
| Power Accelerator T-Arm | Ansen "T" handle in "Candy Silver" |
| Gas tank | Moon Aluminum tank |
| Exhaust turbine | Made from a 5 gallon paint can |
| Parachute info | 2 Deist parachute packs with 10ft. in diameter parachutes |
| California License plate | Temporary Registration Plate 037 |
| Gotham License plates | 4 quantity used during the TV show: TP-6597, BAT-1, 2F-3567, ZEF 451 |
| '65-'66 Steering wheel | A modified "U"-shaped steering wheel (originally from the Lincoln Futura) |
| '67-'68 Steering wheel | In April 1967, an uncut 1958 Edsel wheel replaced the original |
| HISTORY | |
| Year built | October 1965 |
| Original car used | 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car |
| Original sale price & date | Sold to George Barris for $1.00 in December 21, 1965 |
| Designed by | George Barris with input from 20th Century Fox |
| Customized by | George Barris with Gale Black, Bill Cushenbery, Richard "Korky" Korkes, Les Tompkins & Roy "Tubs" Johnson |
| Areas customized by Bill Cushenbery | Reworked the hood, opened up the wheel wells, modified and scalloped the rear fins |
| Areas customized by Gale Black | Front saw blade, rocket tubes, and orange driving lights |
| Area customized by Korky | 5 gallon paint can that was made into the rear turbine exhaust |
| Cost to modify Futura | $30,000 |
| Contractual owners (1965) | George Barris, Irvin Kuns, Lester E. Tompkins, individuals d/b/a/ Barris Kustom City |
| Approx. value in 1966 | $125,000 |
| Time to build | 3 weeks |
| BATMOBILE TIMELINE | |
| August 20, 1965 | Meeting with George Barris, Charles FitzSimons (from Fox), and Ike Danning (from Fox Transportation Dpt.) to discuss building a Batmobile |
| August 25, 1965 | Batmobile proposal submitted by Barris Kustom City, including 2 sketches. I II |
| September 1, 1965 | Contract signed to build the Batmobile |
| October 11, 1965 | "Batmobile I" completed and delivered |
| October 15, 1965 | Mechanical issues (headlights, battery, exhaust, ignition and tire) with Batmobile |
| December 21, 1965 | "Futura Show Car" aka the Batmobile, officially sold to George Barris for $1.00. |
| January 12, 1966 | Batman airs on ABC TV. Original Batmobile "News Release" |
| February 3, 1966 | First Exhibition of the Batmobile at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in CA. |
| August 3, 1966 | The Batman movie premieres |
| August 15, 1966 | Contract to "construct two copies of the Batmobile." |
| September 15, 1966 | Expiration of the option to either continue renting Batmobile I or to require Barris Kustom City to construct Batmobile II |
| September 21, 1966 | Amended contract regarding exhibition of copies of the Batmobile, and refurbishing of Batmobile I. |
| October 18, 1966 | Patented by George Barris. Patent # Des. 205998 |
| November 1966 | Barris Kustom City replicated Batmobile I and created 3 fiberglass copies |
| January 11, 1967 | Barris in "process of acquiring a fourth Batmobile" |
| March 9, 1967 | Delivered to Barris Kustom City to be "refurbished." Refurbishment included, "put Batmobile I in first-class operating condition by completely refurbishing the interior and exterior of the body...and all mechanical moving parts therein, including the installation of a new engine and drive train." |
| April 15, 1967 | Batmobile due back to 20th Century Fox fully refurbished |
| June 16, 1967 | Barris requesting the intention to acquire an additional Batmobile ..."known as Batmobile #5" |
| January 23, 1968 | "Prop-return time on the Batman Series. This is the property of George Barris and must be returned to him. Fox has the right to remove any props installed by the studio. This may be more expensive than to return the car intact." |
| March 14, 1968 | Last episode of Batman airs |
| ORIGINAL REQUIREMENTS FROM THE 1965 CONTRACT | |
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Owner shall either provide and install or provide for the installation of the following items: 1. The Switches and Hand-throttle knob for the Turbo-electric Drive. 2. The Bing-Bong Warning Bell and Bat-Light Flasher. 3. The Mobile Phone between the seats with Beeper and Flashing Light. 4. The Batscope, with TV-like Viewing Screen on the dash with control buttons and Radar-like Antenna with aimable parabolic Reflector outside, with cockpit controls. 5. Anti-theft System- Flashing Red Lights- Piercing Whistle- Little rockets built into tubes at the back of the cockpit that fire straight up with a fiery whoosh. 6. Anti-fire Control System- Flood of Foam from Secret Nozzle. 7. Turn-off switch for Protection Systems. 8. Radar-like screen that Beeps and Blips and points an arrow as it picks up Robin's directional signal. 9. Mechanics for Emergency Bat Turn- Red Lever so named on Dash- Reverse Thrust Rockets beneath headlights- Ejection Parachute Mechanism at rear. 10. Bat-Ray Projector Mechanism- Lever on Dash so names- Hood Hydraulic Projector Device. (With possibility of ray coming from Bat-Eyes). 11. Portable Fire-Extinguisher. 12. Receiver and Sender Computer to be installed in trunk of Batmobile. 13. Bat symbols on hubcaps. 14. The color of the Batmobile and the Bat Symbols to be placed thereon shall be mutually agreed upon between Owner and Producer prior to the completion of the Batmobile. 15. Special luminescent paint to define Bat outline at night, the placement of which shall be mutually agreed upon between Owner and Producer prior to the completion of the Batmobile.
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