Following the 1966 BATMOBILE is today’s BEST OF SHOW…
Met up with buddy Barry and George Barris’ grandson Jared for a jaunt to BOB’S BIG BOY in Burbank… flanked by the #2 Original Batmobile. Stands out like a POW! BANG! SPLAT! WATCH!!
1966 BATMOBILE MERCH… for the Hardcore “I’m BATMAN”
As we start to approach the Holiday Season, people are looking for something UNIQUE. And the Fireball Store has got it for the HARDCORE BATFAN! Did you grow up watching BATMAN in 1966 or did you “ease” into it through syndication? Regardless, Fireball’s got the goods and it’s MUGS, STICKERS and ART PRINTS of the #1 Movie Car on the Planet! LET’S GO!!
1966 BATMOBILE gets an upgrade in Fireball’s ESTY Garage…
Fan of the original 1966 BATMOBILE?? Head on over to Fireball’s ETSY Garage and snag a MUG and other stuff with this cool Illustration or THE MOVIE CAR STORE.
We took the awesome 1966 BATMOBILE to a CAR SHOW!
On today’s BEST OF SHOW, Team Fireball snags the original Batmobile (Before it was sold for $4.1M) and takes it to the Bob’s Big Boy Car Show in Burbank!
1966 BATMOBILE with all amazing details UP CLOSE!!
For today’s BEST OF SHOW Fireball takes us on an UP CLOSE and personal tour of all the 1966 BATMOBILE Details! Blow MIND!
MOVIE CAR SHOWDOWN!! It’s the 1966 Batmobile VS Starsky Ford Torino… YOU VOTE!!
Welcome to Fireball’s MOVIE CAR SHOWDOWN! Every day, we’ll pit two HOLLYWOOD MOVIE CARS against each other until we find the ULTIMATE BADASS!
Today’s contenders… the 1966 BATMOBILE VS STARSKY FORD TORINO. VOTE by leaving a comment below!
Ride of the Week… THE 1966 BATMOBILE & BATCAVE!!
Many years back, I met this gent at a car show. He’s none other than television and film production and famous television and movie car special event coordinator, Nate Truman – otherwise known as a “TVFPFTVMCSEC” (OK, that didn’t actually work, so let’s move on).
When I got the idea to drive with Nate and his fully modified ‘79 Lincoln drive-chain into the Batmobile, I got excited. I would get to be a Caped Crusader for a day, only without actually having to wear a cape, tights and a funny mask. And there was no way that was going to happen anyway, but I was in.
The original ‘66 Batmobile was a 1955 Ford Futura Concept Car, as you probably already know. On Nate’s version, every square inch has been modified.
“The specs according to “Car and Driver” testing (July 07),” he said, “were a front engine, rear wheel drive, two passenger, two door roadster with a pushrod 16 valve v-8, iron block and heads. 1×2 bbl Carburetor with a 400 cu. in. 6555cc motor. Power was 159 bhp at 3400 rpm and Torque was 315 lb.-ft at 1800 rpm. The wheelbase was a whopping 127.2 in. & Length was 225 in.!! Total weight? 4020 lb.”
In other words, this is a BIG CAR. Lincoln BIG.
“I started the build in 1996, and finished it with lots of help in 2003,” Nate said. “I sat in one of the original batmobiles in 1986 when I segment-produced the Wil Shriner daytime talk show. Once I got behind the wheel, I knew I had to have my own street-legal version.”
But the really cool thing about Nate and his BatBruiser is that he uses it for Charity Events for Autism, Make-A-Wish, Children’s Hospitals, Parades and making people smile.
As I got behind the wheel and became one of very few people to ever drive this BatBehemoth, the idea began to warm that wearing tights might not be all that bad, and a cape might just be possible.
“There have been lots of great moments thanks to this car,” Nate said. “My favorites are always Children’s Hospital kids who love Batman and the look on their face when they are behind the wheel of the car. It’s great to add a happy moment to their lives when their days are so hard.”
You’re probably getting the same idea. Mentally picking out you cape color and your incognito mask. But this BatBaller was so cool that we had to film it too, so last week’s episode of 5Minute Drive was just that, along with Santa in Herbie The Love Bug, which can be see at www.youtube.com/fireballtim.
Many of us strive to find ways to give back to others. We know it’s right, but finding the right way for us can sometimes be challenging. Do we give money, time, things? Well, in Nate’s case, he now gives smiles and joy through what he loves. And he loves Superhero Cars. A tool that when it pulls up anywhere, manifests smiles, cell phone cameras, whistles and questions. All of which Nate (As a true superhero) is cordial, excited and happy to always provide. We even donned masks while we drove and let people know that we were here to help.
Imagine if we all did that?
“I love Malibu with all the famous shooting locations from Knight Rider, Rockford files, Charlie’s Angels and many other shows. It’s fun to stand in the spots where they were shot.
And his Favorite Movie with a Car beyond the Batmobile? That’s too hard, he said, but on the top of the list would have to be “The Great Race” “Speed Racer” all the Bond films, and of course “Batman!”
Congratulations to Nate for pulling no punches when it comes to crime fighting and becoming this week’s RIDE OF THE WEEK! And if you’d like him or other cool movie cars to come visit you, hit him up at www.starcarcentral.com and they’ll arrive in style. Who knows, I may even tag along.
ORIGINAL GEORGE BARRIS 1966 BATMOBILE DISSECTED! – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 698
ORIGINAL GEORGE BARRIS 1966 BATMOBILE DISSECTED! – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 698 – Fireball heads to The Murphy Museum to reveal the Original George Barris 1966 Batmobile… and AutoDissects it!
The George Barris 1966 Batmobile-to-be was the brainchild of Lincoln Mercury’s postwar chief stylist, William M. Schmidt.
Schmidt began working as an automotive stylist in the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company in 1940. Inspired by a scuba-diving encounter with a shark, Schmidt sketched a low, long, wide, and flat vision of the future with a predatory full width grille, ominously hooded headlights, and killer tail fins.
Called a $250,000 “laboratory on wheels”, the low twin-dome experimental car would serve as a mobile test bench for a score of new engineering and design features.
The Futura was used to road test such innovations as push-button gearshifts, colored warning signals for fuel consumption (green for full, amber for half-full, red for low), a clear Plexiglas top, a special 330 H.P. Lincoln engine and such engineering innovations as an air scoop for air-cooling the rear brakes.
The car is one inch short of nineteen feet long. It’s seven feet wide and less than four and a half feet high. Ground clearance at the center is six inches. It has dual fans, dual exhausts and a foot pedal horn.
There’s a red light for the parking gear, blue for reverse, white for neutral, green for drive and yellow for low. The car has a tachometer. It has 27 different sizes and shapes of lamps, 18 control switches and 2000 feet of wiring.
It has an “audio approach” microphone for picking up sounds of rear-approaching cars.
There are no windows; the car is entirely air-conditioned; and one enters or leaves by raising the Plexiglas canopy.
There was space for a telephone behind the center console.
It took just three months to ready the concept car for its debut at the Chicago Auto Show in January 1955.
From there, the futuristic Lincoln was driven to a car show in Detroit. On March 3rd, just before the NY Auto Show, with Benson Ford at the experimental steering wheel and Schmidt in the passenger seat, the Futura cruised from the United Nation’s building through NY’s Central Park to the Tavern on the Green restaurant for a photo session.
In 1959, the Futura made its film debut in the MGM movie It Started With A Kiss starring Debbie Reynolds & Glenn Ford.
The Futura was painted red for the movie and treated to a red interior. After that, the car would have been forgotten and perhaps destroyed, as most show cars of that time were.
However, it was later sold to car customizer George Barris who had a relationship with Ford due to his affiliation with the Ford Custom Car Caravan program.
Despite the car’s original cost of $250,000, the Lincoln Futura was sold to Barris for $1.00 by Ford Motor Company.
As the car was never titled and was therefore uninsurable, it was parked behind Barris’ North Hollywood shop where it sat idle for several years and was allowed to deteriorate.
What’s it like to drive the 1966 BATMOBILE?
Many years back, I met this gent at a car show. He’s none other than television and film production and famous television and movie car special event coordinator, Nate Truman – otherwise known as a “TVFPFTVMCSEC” (OK, that didn’t actually work, so let’s move on).
When I got the idea to drive with Nate and his fully modified ‘79 Lincoln drive-chain into the Batmobile, I got excited. I would get to be a Caped Crusader for a day, only without actually having to wear a cape, tights and a funny mask. And there was no way that was going to happen anyway, but I was in.
The original ‘66 Batmobile was a 1955 Ford Futura Concept Car, as you probably already know. On Nate’s version, every square inch has been modified.
“The specs according to “Car and Driver” testing (July 07),” he said, “were a front engine, rear wheel drive, two passenger, two door roadster with a pushrod 16 valve v-8, iron block and heads. 1×2 bbl Carburetor with a 400 cu. in. 6555cc motor. Power was 159 bhp at 3400 rpm and Torque was 315 lb.-ft at 1800 rpm. The wheelbase was a whopping 127.2 in. & Length was 225 in.!! Total weight? 4020 lb.”
In other words, this is a BIG CAR. Lincoln BIG.
“I started the build in 1996, and finished it with lots of help in 2003,” Nate said. “I sat in one of the original batmobiles in 1986 when I segment-produced the Wil Shriner daytime talk show. Once I got behind the wheel, I knew I had to have my own street-legal version.”
But the really cool thing about Nate and his BatBruiser is that he uses it for Charity Events for Autism, Make-A-Wish, Children’s Hospitals, Parades and making people smile.
As I got behind the wheel and became one of very few people to ever drive this BatBehemoth, the idea began to warm that wearing tights might not be all that bad, and a cape might just be possible.
“There have been lots of great moments thanks to this car,” Nate said. “My favorites are always Children’s Hospital kids who love Batman and the look on their face when they are behind the wheel of the car. It’s great to add a happy moment to their lives when their days are so hard.”
You’re probably getting the same idea. Mentally picking out you cape color and your incognito mask. But this BatBaller was so cool that we had to film it too, so last week’s episode of 5Minute Drive was just that, along with Santa in Herbie The Love Bug, which can be see at www.youtube.com/fireballtim.
Many of us strive to find ways to give back to others. We know it’s right, but finding the right way for us can sometimes be challenging. Do we give money, time, things? Well, in Nate’s case, he now gives smiles and joy through what he loves. And he loves Superhero Cars. A tool that when it pulls up anywhere, manifests smiles, cell phone cameras, whistles and questions. All of which Nate (As a true superhero) is cordial, excited and happy to always provide. We even donned masks while we drove and let people know that we were here to help.
Imagine if we all did that?
“I love Malibu with all the famous shooting locations from Knight Rider, Rockford files, Charlie’s Angels and many other shows. It’s fun to stand in the spots where they were shot.
And his Favorite Movie with a Car beyond the Batmobile? That’s too hard, he said, but on the top of the list would have to be “The Great Race” “Speed Racer” all the Bond films, and of course “Batman!”
Congratulations to Nate for pulling no punches when it comes to crime fighting and becoming this week’s RIDE OF THE WEEK! And if you’d like him or other cool movie cars to come visit you, hit him up at www.starcarcentral.com and they’ll arrive in style. Who knows, I may even tag along.
Do you want to be featured as Fireball’s Ride of the Week? Let him know what you’ve got by emailing askfireball@fireballtim.com and check out his awesome new Cars & Kids Bookstore for awesome designs, kid’s books and more. www.fireballtim.com.
Fireball reveals the Concept Art EVOLUTION of the BATMOBILE
From the iconic 1966 BATMAN television series to the upcoming THE BATMAN sequel movie featuring Robert Pattinson, the Batmobile has undergone a remarkable evolution, becoming an emblem of the Caped Crusader’s ever-evolving persona. Designed by George Barris for the Adam West-starring series, the original Batmobile was a sleek, futuristic creation that captured the imaginations of audiences worldwide. It set the stage for a legacy of innovation and creativity in the design of Batman’s iconic vehicle.
Barris’ Batmobile was based on the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, which he transformed into a crime-fighting machine with its distinctive fins, bat-themed features, and cutting-edge gadgets. This version became an instant classic, making appearances in various iterations of the Batman franchise over the years.
Throughout the subsequent Batman films and television adaptations, the cars continued to evolve, reflecting changes in technology, aesthetics, and the tone of the stories. Tim Burton’s vision in the late 1980s brought a darker, more gothic aesthetic to the Batmobile, with Fireball concepting a sleek, armored vehicle for Michael Keaton’s Batman. Multiple versions of the car were constructed for each film, showcasing different functionalities and design elements.
As the franchise progressed, directors like Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan put their own spin on the Batmobile, each iteration bringing fresh innovations and design choices. Whether it was the neon-lit, retro-futuristic design of the Schumacher era or the military-inspired, rugged Tumbler of Nolan’s trilogy, the design continued to captivate audiences with its dynamic presence on screen.
Now, with the upcoming Batman Sequel film starring Robert Pattinson, fans eagerly anticipate the next evolution of the next car. Early glimpses suggest a return to a more grounded, gritty aesthetic, reminiscent of the character’s detective roots. Designed by production designer James Chinlund, this new Batmobile may be a departure from the high-tech version 1, militarized designs of recent years.
But what’s next for the Batmobile? With each new iteration, designers have pushed the boundaries of innovation and imagination. As technology advances and storytelling techniques evolve, the possibilities for the Batmobile are endless. Whether it’s a return to the classic elegance of the Barris design or a bold leap into uncharted territory, one thing is certain: the Batmobile will continue to be an integral part of the Batman mythos, inspiring awe and excitement for generations to come.
Check out the cool Concept Art in Fireball’s Garage NOW! What Batmobile should he do next??
