The kids growing up today may long to drive the Tumbler, but for the children of the ‘60s, it was the original finned roadster. Inspired by the Lincoln Futura concept of 1955, the original Batmobile was built on the base of a 1959 Cadillac and went on to star alongside Adam West and company in the original Batman television series and subsequent movie.
The actual car used remains in the private collection of George Barris, who built the car for the studio and cleverly retained ownership, valued today at $2.5 million. This painstaking reproduction, however, is up for grabs at RM's upcoming auction on December 1. The vehicle you see here was part of John Stalippi's Cars of Dreams museum in North Palm Beach, Florida, now being liquidated by RM Auctions. The replica Batmobile was built on the chassis of a ‘66 Chevy, but while it was not used in the campy series, it features all the hallmarks of the one that did - and at a fraction of the price.
As if that weren't enough to entice the nostalgic among collectors, the lot also includes the original Batcycle. Based on a 1965 Harley-Davidson motorbike with side-car (you know, for Robin), the Batcycle was leased to the 20th Century Fox and used in the first season of the show before it was replaced by a newer version based on a Yamaha Catalina 250. The two items are bundled together in one lot that is estimated to bring in between $125,000 and $175,000 when the gavel drops. Check them out in the photos snapped by Teddy Pieper, presented here courtesy of RM Auctions.
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