In some remarkable turn of events, the iconic 'Batmobile' used in 1960s Batman TV series has been auctioned off for an eye-popping sum of $ 4.6 million. The legendary car was driven by TV's Batman played by Adam West, and was actually designed by the iconic Hollywood car designer George Barris. The renowned sleek black car went under the hammer at the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company in Scottsdale, Arizona. The winning bid of $ 4.6 million came from Rick Champagne, who has been an avid participant of Barrett-Jackson auctions for the last 15 years.
George Barris, known throughout the world as the 'original' King of Kustomizers, purchased the highly exclusive 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car for just $ 1, from Ford in 1965. Later, Barris transformed the Lincoln Futura into an unbelievable 19 feet long head-tuning Batmobile. Apparently, Barris put three weeks of his relentless efforts towards developing the stunning vehicle, which costed around $ 15,000 and was funded by 20th Century Fox Studios.
The George Barris designed road legal Batmobile comes fitted with a powerful V8 engine along with an automatic transmission system. The car also incorporates an oil squirter made from lawn sprinklers, a 'Batphone', a fake exhaust jet made from a 10 gallon bucket and two fully deployable packed parachutes.
Expressing his view on his baby leaving his garage, at the auction 87 year old Barris was quoted as saying, “I think it is the most valuable car in the world and the public really get a kick out of it when they see it," the owner Barris said during the sale. "I designed and built the Batmobile and I have shown it all around the world but now I think it is time that someone else can enjoy it.”
Further, Craig Jackson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, said, “The Batmobile is true Americana and it's hard to put a dollar figure on something like that. This vehicle not only marks the significant Bat logo that sits on the middle of its door, but a time in television history where they defied the odds of making a car the real star of the show.”
Rick Champagne is a Phoenix based collector of exclusive automobiles and a successful businessman as well. Apparently, Champagne wants his new acquisition to grace his living room, when he said, “I'm going to tear down a wall and put in my living room.”
