Holy 1960s Batman! Original TV Batmobile Races to Auction Block

We've already given you some pretty groovy gift ideas for the holiday season, but perhaps the coolest item that will be up for grabs is the original 1966 TV Batmobile owned by George Barris. It's actually a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that was heavily modified for the live action TV series starring Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin). It also appeared in a movie adaptation.

"Still as striking as when it first came out of the paint shop, the original Batmobile has been a part of Barris’ personal collection since he first bought it from the Ford Motor Company for a dollar in 1965. Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction will mark the first time the car has gone up for sale since then," the Barrett-Jackson car auction house stated in a press release.


The Batmobile is 19 feet long, seats two, and has a bubble-top. The prototype car was entirely hand-built in 1954 by Ghia Body Works in Turin, Italy. It features several instruments in the steering wheel, as well as a push-button transmission, exterior microphones to pick up and transmit the sounds of traffic to the occupants inside, and a bunch of other innovative devices, Barrett-Jackson says. Powering the Batmobile is a 390-in 1956 Lincoln V8 engine and a B&M Hydro Automatic transmission.

"The 1966 Batmobile by George Barris is one of the most famous Hollywood cars in history and it has become a true icon that has been carried from generation to generation of Batmobiles to follow," said Craig Jackson, Chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "This vehicle not only marks the significant Bat logo that sits on the middle of its door, but a time in television history where they defied the odds of making a car the real star of the show. It revolutionized an entire industry that followed in its footsteps and we couldn’t be prouder to have it cross our block in Scottsdale as it goes up for sale for the very first time."


It's loaded to the hilt with all kinds of geeky gadgets, including a nose-mounted aluminum Cable Cutter Blade, Bat Ray Porjector, Automatic Tire Inflation Device, Remote Batcomputer, and several other Batman inspired accessories.

There's no estimate how much the Batmobile will go for when it's put up for auction on Saturday, January 19, 2013.