If you ask Batman fans who his sidekick is, they would without hesitation name Robin. If you could ask Batman himself, he would probably choose his car. From the first Batmobile that appeared in Detective Comics back in 1941 to the ultimate supercar featured in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie that came out earlier this year, Batman’s real sidekick has gone through various upgrades.
How has the Batmobile evolved through the years?
When did the Batmobile first appear?
Detective Comics #48 in 1941
Although the Batmobile originally appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 as a red sedan, the vigilante’s car got its official name as Batmobile after appearing in#48 of Detective Comics two years later. That’s when it started to feature prominent bat motif in the form of distinctive wing-shaped tailfins. After all, how could Batman’s car become a part of the pop culture if it didn’t evolve into a bat-looking vehicle that truly fits into Batman’s lifestyle and his mission to protect Gotham City.
What is Batman without the Batsuit and Batmobile?
Batman TV series (1966-1968)
Batman TV series, which can be classified as action, adventure, comedy, and superhero fiction, were based on Detective Comics book. Starring as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, 120 episodes aired on ABC from 1966 to 1968. In the 1966 series, the Batmobile also became drivable for the first time. On January 19, 2013, the original vehicle build by George Barris and driven in the iconic television series was auctioned in Arizona and sold for… Are you ready? $4.2 million!
Now, if i would buy such a car at an auction, I would definitely make sure to hire an auto shipping company, experienced in shipping classic cars to ship it to my garage. I would also check that this company offers car shipping insurance. Such a fortune beauty deserves its proper care.
What about the Super Friends (1973-1986) car design?
If you were around when the red and black Batmobile appeared, you would have immediately noticed how during the new animated TV series, which aired from 1973-1986 on ABC, the superhero mobile changed its colors: blue and black with a touch of yellow. There were 109 episodes of Super Friends in total which, once again, featured DC book characters.
What are your thoughts on the more ‘modern’ Batmobile?
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986-1989)
The Batmobile featured in the The Dark Knight Returns also titled “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns reached its evolution ‘climax’ at the time. Bruce Wayne aged 55 had been retired from his ‘profession’ as Batman for the past ten years.
After a breakdown, he returns to fight crime, stronger than ever. And what can better represent his comeback than a completely redesigned, heavily-armoured Batmobile that looked a lot like a war tank?
In 1989, the Batmobile also reached a high point in its evolution line. The coolness and wealth of Batman character were merged into one with his car.
What marked the Batmobile modern spin (1992-1999)?
In the Batmobile of the 90s we can, in a way, see a remote resemblance to the Batmobile of the 60s, but with a modern spin. Once again the car emphasized the character of one of our favorite superheroes. If we were to make a Batmobile grid, the 1995 Batmobile, in particular, would pop up right away. With a rib-cage design, the car has an ‘out of this world’ look that would leave even the pickiest of the car critics speechless.
The 1999 Batmobile also has ‘out of this planet’ look; only we should replace ‘planet’ with ‘solar system.’ The car design was way ahead of its time. No wonder we haven’t seen any reminiscence of its version since then.
Can the bat-like car be brought ‘down to earth’?
The Dark Knight Trilogy (2002-2012)
The British-American The Dark Knight Trilogy based on the DC comic books featured a more ‘down to earth’ car. The Batmobile fans and car lovers alike can totally imagine themselves in the driver’s seat. The live-action trilogy consists of Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). It introduced us to a new version of the Batmobile, also known as the Tumbler.
Here are its technical specs:
• Length: 15 feet 2 inches
• Width: 9 feet 2 inches
• height 4 feet 11 inches
• Weight: 2.5 short tons
• Acceleration: 0-60 in 5.6 seconds.
Where did the latest Batmobile appear?
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016
The latest Batmobile appeared in the Batman v Superman movie in March of 2016. Even though in the movie the car can reach a speed of 205 mph, in real life, it’s top speed is only 90 mph. And that’s when reality hits you hard! Nevertheless, I feel ashamed I haven’t seen the movie yet. From the trailer and official film photos, I can clearly see a new era of the Batmobile is already here.
Although I am dying to see the next transformation of the Batmobile, this superhero vehicle is not the only iconic car to win the hearts of movie lovers.
Would you like to learn more about some famous movie cars that you can afford? You can read more on our site, or write to us if you would like to hear about some of the interesting classic cars and even barn finds that we have shipped through the years. Maybe some day you will ask to ship one yourself.
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