BATMOBILE SELLS FOR $4 MIL PLUS

BATMOBILE SELLS FOR $4MIL PLUS

The ‘petrol heads’ original dream car has sold for $4.2 (£2.6) at a US auction. The Batmobile, driven by cult icon, Adam West in 120 episodes of the original Batman TV series was bought by Rick Champagne, a logistics company owner from Phoenix, Arizona. The 56-year-old said it was ‘a dream come true’.

The original design for the supercar was based on concept car the Lincoln Futura, which was built in Italy by Ford in 1955. It was originally bought by car-customiser George Barris for a nominal fee of $1 in 1965. Barris then spent 15 days converting the vehicle into the Batmobile at a cost of around £5,370. It had a V-8 engine, in-car phone and parachutes to assist sharp turns at high speed.

Mr Barris said, 'The car had to be a star on its own. And it became one.'

Since the show ended in 1968, the custom car fanatic has toured the Batmobile worldwide until it was eventually housed in a private showroom in California.

Most Recent News Items - View News Archive