Fix Auto Downtown San Diego

5 Fun Facts About the Batmobile

One of the iconic vehicles in pop culture is the Batmobile. Driven by the fictional superhero Batman, the Batmobile has been featured in a variety of comic books, television shows, and movies for more than 70 years.

At Fix Auto Downtown San Diego, we love all of the iconic TV cars, so that's why we're sharing this blog with our readers in San Diego, CA.

It officially debuted in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 when the story of Batman was first introduced. Back then, the Batmobile was shown as an ordinary red car rather than the dark-colored body and bat-type accessories we typically see today. The vehicle officially received the Batmobile name in 1941 when it graced the pages of Detective Comics #48. It also included a bat hood ornament.

As the Batman character has evolved, so has the Batmobile. Designs have ranged from a concept car to a sports car to even a tank!

Some of the features of the Batmobile have included ejection seats, tear gas dispensers, a missile rack, reversible jet exhaust and wheel slasher hubs. It’s also common to find gas masks, spare costumes and hazmat suits inside the unique mode of transportation.

Other types of bat-type vehicles have accompanied the Dark Knight over the years such as the Batplane, Batboat, Batcycle and Robin’s Redbird.

Fun facts about the Batmobile:

In the popular Batman series televised from 1966-68, a Lincoln Futura was used as the Batmobile. Manufactured in Italy by Ford, the 1955 concept car, driven by Adam West, was owned and customized by George Barris. In 2013, the vehicle was sold at Barrett Jackson's annual auction for $4.2 million plus commission.

Before this version of the Batmobile, Batman fan Forrest Robinson of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, built his version of the Batmobile in 1963. It was often used for promotional events and was part of an All-Star Dairy Products advertising program that sold Batman desserts.

The hand-sculpted Batmobile used in the 1989 and 1992 movies was driven by Michael Keaton. Reportedly, one of the back fins is more curved than the other so the back wobbles when the vehicle is driven around 90 miles per hour. The toys based off the design also have asymmetrical fins.

In the 1995 movie “Batman Forever,” the Batmobile driven by actor Val Kilmer was powered by a 25-gallon propane tank and included Blue LEDs and alternating yellow and red lights on the vehicle, which some say made it look like it was breathing. 

The Batmobile used in the 1997 movie “Batman & Robin,” starring George Clooney as Bruce Wayne’s alter ego, was a single-seat convertible. With no room for a passenger, it was lucky that Robin had his motorcycle for transportation.

In “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christian Bale drove the “Tumbler.” The only Batmobile not called Batmobile in the movies, it was reportedly not suitable for military use. Made of fiberglass, the designers created what many say was referred to a cross between a Lamborghini and a Humvee.

Like Bruce Wayne said in “The Dark Knight,” “Batman has no limits.” It seems that the Batmobile designs over the years have had no limits as well.

Sources: Ain't It Cool News, Superhero News and Entertainment Weekly