Holy auction, Batman! Historic Batmobile is up for sale, The earliest known officially licensed 1963 Batmobile, which is hand-built from a 1956 Oldsmobile, is up for auction starting at $90,000.
According to Heritage Auctions, the Batmobile was customized in 1960 by 23-year-old Forrest Robinson. He finished building the car in 1963, two years before George Barris' customization of the "Batman" TV series' Batmobile began. This '63 Batmobile is considered by collectors to be the "earliest known car in existence that was sanctioned by a DC Comics licensee," Heritage says.
Custom-built from the ground up, this Batmobile is more reminiscent of DC Comics' version of the car from '40s and '50s Batman comics, complete with the signature bat-nose and single fin detailing.
Robinson started with a "1956 Oldsmobile 88 frame and the famous 324 Rocket engine -- a predecessor of 1960s muscle cars -- and replaced the Oldsmobile body with his custom-designed body, measuring 17 feet by 83 inches, sporting the Batmobile's iconic dorsal fin, bat-nose front end and pocket sliding doors," Heritage Auctions stated.
While the car remained in Robinson's care for many years, it was sold and eventually came into the hands of Toy Car Exchange who restored the car once again to pristine condition, retaining the car's original parts including its frame and engine.
Internet bidding ends on December 5 at 8 p.m. PT and auction ends on December 6 at 9 a.m. PT. If you're the successful bidder, it will be your responsibility to retrieve the car from Northern California yourself. Though chasing down villains and fighting crime in the car is not recommended.
