The Batmobile can be yours for $5 million

The iconic car joins the General Lee from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' on the auction block this weekend.

By Kim Peterson Jan 18, 2013 3:03PM
Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman at the wheel of the Batmobile in the TV series 'Batman' in 1966 (Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)The Batmobile is up for grabs this weekend, and may fetch perhaps as much as $5 million at an Arizona auction.

The Lincoln Futura, created in 1955, has been on display at the North Hollywood shop where it was built since 1968, when the "Batman" television series ended, The Los Angeles Times reports. The car, with its bulletproof Plexiglas bubbles on top, played a big role in the series, which starred Adam West and Burt Ward.

It's owned by George Barris, who also made the vehicles used in "The Munsters" and "Beverly Hillbillies." Barris said he customized the Lincoln into the Batmobile in 15 days at a $15,000 cost.

The car certainly is one of a kind, which is why some experts think it could sell for up to $5 million at the annual Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, the event CNBC describes as the "car-a-palooza of auto-collecting." The auction is also selling a Mercedes once owned by Clark Gable.

Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson tells CNBC that he could surpass his company's auction record of $108 million from 2007. He thinks the Batmobile buyer will end up being a museum or movie company with links to the Batman franchise, which is owned by DC Comics.

Also on the auction block is the General Lee, the famous car owned by Bo and Luke Duke in the television show "The Dukes of Hazzard."

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22Comments
dwilli
Jan 18, 2013 4:36PM
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Holy hotwheels, Batman!  $5 million?  Pow!  Bam!  ZAP!!

M4Protected556
Jan 19, 2013 4:41AM
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No matter what anyone thinks, this is a verified piece of history.
smooooothone
Jan 19, 2013 8:01AM
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I hope the car does bring that much for George as he is one of the iconic custom car builders and respected by myself and other builders.   As far as Barrett Jackson auctions they have almost singlehandedly ruined the collector car market as now everyone with an old car sitting somewhere thinks they are worth 50 times more than they really are...........so all I can say to them is **** BARRETT JACKSON AUCT IONS
Dog Man
Jan 19, 2013 5:34AM
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When I was young child I use to walk by this shop all the time...stop each time to look at the "Batmobile" would always spot something new to admire. The one thing not mention is the engine....sometimes I would be walking by when they had this baby cranked up...I don't know what

 the spec's where but she sounded built out for it's era.

justtiredofidiots
Jan 18, 2013 6:00PM
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The Batmobile has always been,just as you see it here, the remodeled Licoln Futura showcar, built in 1955. Never has a Cadillac been a Batmobile.
chiefsfan43
Jan 19, 2013 9:52AM
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I thought golfer Bubba Watson bought the "General Lee" last year.
Kelly
Jan 20, 2013 4:50AM
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I used to see this car stored in a transport trailer at the Van Nuys Airport in the Valley. The trailer door was partially open revealing the car covered in dust. Glad to see it out and back in circulation!
Kelly
Jan 20, 2013 4:45AM
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I used to see this car s
Re-TOG Re-TOG (Re-TOG)
Jan 20, 2013 8:18PM
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$4.2 million and the Guy is gonna have it in his living room...??

 

Of course we don't really care....4.2?, fool.

justtiredofidiots
Jan 18, 2013 6:57PM
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This Batmobile was never a Cadillac, always a Lincoln. Any other Batmobile, OK; at least a Caddy was used as a car by both Bruce Wayne and Batman in one serial in the 40's, not necessarily as the 'Batmobile'. But we aren't discussing them, now, are we? I don't see any of them mentioned in this article, nor are any of them involved with either George Barris or the Barrett-Jackson auction this weekend. Stay on topic, people.
Re-TOG Re-TOG (Re-TOG)
Jan 19, 2013 1:09PM
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Having went to several Auto Auction extravaganzas.....Pr​etty sure I saw this car sell "once" before...

Unless there were several copies made for filming the shows...?

 

It was "The Batmobile" and it went for way less then $200-300,000 dollars....

Maybe it was "reserved" by the owner...??

I know it was one of many oddities that I had/have seen either "displayed" or "sold" over the years.

It is hardly "worth" $5 million....But the Chinese and Japanese, seem to migrate to these types of Historical Americana...And I've seen a few others sold by G.Barris or at least that were made by him.

myownpin
Jan 18, 2013 9:50PM
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I saw a car that looked just like that two days ago on Bristol turning onto Irvine Avenue in Newport Beach.  Wondering if it's the same car or a duplicate someone created.  I can't imagine someone would be driving a car they hope to get millions from.
L H
Jan 18, 2013 7:27PM
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Obama couldn't get it with cash for clunckers?
jujubee0921
Jan 18, 2013 5:41PM
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I was hoping it would be the Tim Burton batmobile. But i guess it's not street legal.
adidasman
Jan 18, 2013 5:11PM
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CNBC should be forever shuttered for using a ridiculous phrase like "car-a-palooza." Is that supposed to be clever? Amusing? Witty? Well, if you ask me, it's lazy, hackneyed, and just plain stupid. Do they consider that journalism??? Maybe in a high school newspaper. On a network owned and operated by an anormous international corporation? It's beyond embarrassing.
nativearizonan
Jan 18, 2013 5:53PM
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People can pay $5,000,000.00 for a customized Ford , yet the Republicans can't bring themselves to ask people with that kind of money to pay higher income taxes?  All that money the wealthy would be saving by not paying increased taxes would not create any jobs. It just gives the very wealthy  one per centers (01%ERS)  a little extra disposable pocket change so they can buy themselves a Batmobile and ski in Aspen on the weekends. 5 million dollars--  that would buy about 500  Ford Fiestas. The gap between the haves and the have nots just gets wider and wider. Just think of how many direct deposit paychecks the average person would need in order to accumulate  5 mln. dollars. When you've got it  flaunt it, right? Me, I'll just keep driving my Ford 150 4X4 and consider myself lucky to have that.
r746nhra
Jan 18, 2013 4:33PM
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Well actually the first original Batmobile ever used was based on and old cadillac frame not a ford. They went to ford after the first one was created.
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