Yesterday, we reported that an fan-made street legal Batmobile modeled after the one used in Batman Returns will be auctioned off this weekend. While many geeks dream of owning a replica Keaton-mobile that is loaded with an arsenal of crime-fighting equipment and is ready to drive, some of you out there might be looking for something a bit old-fashioned. For those among you who are lukewarm about the 1989 edition of Batman’s signature vehicle, I return with serendipitous news: you now can purchase your very own road-ready replica of the Batmobile driven by Adam West in the Batman television program from the 1960s.
Hammacher Schlemmer, a retailer and mail-order dealer based in Niles, Illinois that is mostly known for adorning airplanes with Skymall magazines loaded with overly-expensive kitsch, is offering replica Batmobiles to anyone who is willing to pay $200,000. for one. Each car takes approximately a year to build, but if you’re willing to put up the cash and wait, it sounds like you’ll receive something that is as close to the real thing as possible. The description for the West-mobile on the Hammacher Sclemmer website notes the following features:
Built on a custom Lincoln chassis, this crime-fighting cruiser comes standard with a 430-horsepower, 383 Blueprint Crate engine and a Monster TH350 automatic transmission. Though equipped with neither atomic batteries for power nor turbines for speed, a rear-facing propane tank creates the same afterburner effect as the original. The vehicle’s cockpit honors the gadgetry of the TV series with a blinking Batphone, switch-operated electric actuators that open the hood and trunk, and a rotating red beacon to alert citizens while in pursuit of fiendish criminals. Other intriguing, if less functional, accessories include a glowing detect-a-scope screen, a Batbeam ray that raises from a hood-mounted antenna, and empty rear parachute packs. The vehicle’s exterior bears all the hallmarks of its namesake, from bubble-canopy windshields to chrome “rocket” tubes behind the rear windshield. Though the original Batmobile lacked rearview mirrors, this street-legal model comes with clamp-on side mirrors as well as a rear video camera.
I hope for a fifth of a million dollars, the 1966 replica can go faster than the 20 miles per hour of the real 196os Batmobile. No word of the car’s top speed on the website could be found, unfortunately. Regardless, if you have the money to burn and/or an oncoming midlife crisis that’s hastily approaching, you’re no longer limited to one Batmobile. Happy holidays, indeed.
Be sure to come back tomorrow, when I will probably have news about someone selling a replica Bat-tank from the Nolan films.
If you had the option of owning any Batmobile, which one would you pick? Who would win in a fistfight, Adam West Batman or Michael Keaton Batman? Give us your thoughts down below!
