A handful of people have had their hands on recreating the iconic Batmobile from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie. The example you see here is NOT one of them. In fact, this is the real deal. Well, the real deal as in it was a prop car which also means it is close as anyone could get to the real deal.
However, unlike the turbine-powered and Ford-based replicas, this prop car is not quite a real car. Instead of a flame-spewing… oh, wait. I think it may have a working flamethrower outfitted at the fake jet turbine outlet to do just that.
Anyways, what I am trying to say is, it does not have an actual engine that would allow you to zip around Gotham City at breakneck speeds. Instead, it has an electric motor, hooked to a 48V system, that would propel it to a blazing “fast” 25-30 mph (40-48 km/h). I know right. Some kiddie rides can go faster than that.
Speaking of mobility… the batteries are said not to have been charged since around 1993 and so it is not clear if this awesome prop car can still move. Regardless of whether or not it can move, this highly collectible movie prop car has a pretty breathtaking offer price of a million and a half US dollars. It is listed on Classic Auto Mall if anyone’s interested.
It may well be worth the money for super fans with “I am rich” as their superpower because this car has all the gimmicks used to make the movie possible, including the aforementioned flamethrower, a kill switch hidden within the “driver’s side” rear wing fin, independent with airbags front suspension, a 4-link with more bags at the rear, and a cockpit with buttons and levers of all manner, and three seats.
So, yeah, it seats three. There is a seat for you (Batsuit optional), a seat for your version of Kim Basinger, and a driver. That’s right. The third seat is for the actual driver and it is hidden behind a secret black velcro, and slightly elevated above the front buckets. So, no. Michael Keaton wasn’t really behind the wheel.
But if you ask me, I’d say that feature is what makes this prop car so goddamn collectible. It has the movie magic in it. If you like, you can learn more about the 1989 Batmobile W.B. at Classic Auto Mall.
Images: Classic Auto Mall.
via designboom.
