The Batman television series ran from 1966 through 1968, starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as his trusty sidekick, Robin. As much as we all loved the calm demeanor of Batman, and the “Holy Twin Turbines” remarks from Robin, there was one star of the show that every gearhead remembers first: the Batmobile.
The original Batmobile was fabricated by the late, great custom car builder George Barris. While many believe that the original car began life as a Pontiac, it was actually a Ford Futura concept car that he purchased for just $1. Barris had made a deal, and in a rather short few weeks he came up with the Batmobile – and it was an instant hit. But Barris was smart enough to hold on to the rights of the car, and eventually the original car sold for $4.62 million at auction.
But all is not lost for those who still seek their own version of the caped crusader’s main wheels, because as seen in the video above, a company in Logansport, Indiana, has been building Batmobile replicas for anyone willing to shell out at least a cool $124,999 for the base model Batmobile SE. Not only are these cars about the closest thing you’ll get to a real Batmobile, but the builder, Mark Racop, owner of Fiberglass Freaks, is the only builder licensed by Warner Bros. and DC Comics.
Prices can range up to $249,999 for the Batmobile LX model, which includes a 525 horsepower crate engine and 4L70E GM transmission. The base model includes a Blueprint Engines 355 GM crate engine with a TH350 transmission, while the Batmobile LE with the 450 HP 383 Blueprint crate motor and 700R4 will set you back about $174,999.
Each of these cars can’t be built on that Futura concept, of course, so Racop starts each build with a Lincoln Town car stripped down to the bare frame. It’s given some new mechanicals and then the fiberglass body and all of the Bat-gadgets are added to the car. These cars come out to be about as close to the original – including the flame-thrower from the rear of the car.