Barris received a call about the most momentous gig of his career. The producers of the “Batman” television show needed a heroic ride for the superhero’s battles with the Joker.
“I saw the script and it said, ‘Bang,’ ‘Pow,’ ‘Boom,'” Barris told the Los Angeles Times in 2012. “That’s exactly what I wanted the car to be able to do. I wanted it to be as big a character as the actors’ themselves.”
Over 15 days and with $15,000, Barris transformed a 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura into the go-to method of transportation for crime-fighting in Gotham City. Black with fluorescent red pinstripes, the sleek Batmobile was outfitted with “bulletproof” plexiglass bubble windshields and 450-watt “Bat Ray” laser beams.
In 2013, it was sold at an auction for $4.6-million.
I had a batmobile car (I think it was Matchbox) that was one of my prized possessions as a kid.
