Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Batmobile shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Batmobile offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Batmobile at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Batmobile? Wrong! If the Batmobile is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Batmobile then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Batmobile? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Batmobile and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Batmobile wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Batmobile then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Batmobile site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Batmobile, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Batmobile, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

The Batmobile is the fictional personal automobile of comic book superhero Batman. The car has followed the evolution of the character from comic books to television to films.

Technical description The standard features of the vehicle include a laser beam, chassis with heavy armor plating, a nuclear bomb strapped to the back, a button for calling in Superman for backup, a high performance engine, sometimes with rocket boosts for increased speed, special devices to improve maneuverability, and mounted weapons to disable vehicles and remove obstacles. In addition, the vehicle typically carries the highly intelligent computer that is remotely linked to the Batcave's main computer, a remote control function, a field forensic kit and a personal small helicopter held in the trunk called a whirlybat.

The vehicle has changed frequently over the decades. In the early stages of Batman's career, the Batmobile was a modified sedan with armor but it has evolved into a technologically advanced custom-built automobile.

The Batmobile has sometimes been described as being powered by nuclear fuel. It was part of the launch checklist from the 1966 in television Batman (TV series) ("Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed!"). And, in Batman Returns, one of the Penguin (comics)’s schemes to kill Batman is to turn the Batmobile into "a H-bomb on wheels."

History Before the Batmobile - 1939

Batman made his very first appearance in Detective Comics No. 27 (1939#May). Although the Batplane was introduced only four issues later, in Detective Comics No. 31, the strip's creators didn't seem to realize the need for a comparable ground vehicle until a year and a half later. Initially, Batman simply drove around in several ordinary cars. Detective Comics No. 30 (1939#August) is the first instance of Batman's automobile being identified as anything other than a standard product of Detroit, Michigan. Readers learn that the Batman drives a "specially built high-powered auto". Except for the unusually long hood, it looks very much like a 1937 Ford Coupe (especially in the grill treatment).

The first Batmobile - 1941

In Detective Comics No. 48 (1941#February) the name "Batmobile" was first applied to Batman and Robin (comics)'s automobile. History of the Batmobile: 1941 But it was not the distinctive black car with the tall scalloped fin and the intimidating bathead on the front that for decades was instantly recognized as "the" Batmobile. Instead, it is a bright red convertible whose only distinguishing mark is a small bat-shaped hood ornament. It is, however, so fast that bystanders cannot believe their eyes.

The classic Batmobile - 1941

Batman No. 5 (Spring 1941) introduced the form of the Batmobile that would become standard until the early 1960s. History of the Batmobile: 1941 The new Batmobile was a long, powerful, streamlined automobile with a tall scalloped fin and an intimidating bathead on the front. There was no doubt about to whom this car belonged. Three pages after it was introduced, the new Batmobile was forced off a cliff by the Joker (comics) to crash in the ravine below. This inauspicious beginning did not taint the Batmobile's career, however. Another, identical Batmobile was streaking through the panels of the very next story in the same issue.

The “Batmobile of 1950” . (Detective Comics No. 156)It took Detroit, Michigan a few years after World War II to switch from wartime production back to turning out new cars. But, by 1950, new, sleeker designs were hitting the streets and the Batmobile of the 1940s was starting to look a little old-fashioned. So it probably wasn't a big surprise that the 1950#February issue of Detective Comics told the story of the creation of a brand new Batmobile. History of the Batmobile: 1950

Batman and Robin constructed the new Batmobile right in the Batcave. It is interesting to see that they do all the work themselves. Later stories had the Batmobile built by a mechanic who owed his life to Batman but, in 1950, they didn't need outside help. The new Batmobile was sleek and modern looking (by the standards of the time) and it was equipped with a large array of crime fighting equipment, including rocket tubes in the rear for super-acceleration and speed, a radar antenna in the fin, radar and television screens in the dash, a complete crime laboratory in the rear, a search light that projected a Bat-signal or a special infrared beam, and a razor sharp blade in the Bat-mask on the front of the car to cut through barriers. As Batman said, "It's ten years ahead of anything else on wheels."

The “new look,” 1964

By 1964, the sales of Batman comics had fallen drastically and DC considered canceling the title. But editor Julius Schwartz, who had produced hits by modernizing and updating old characters like the Flash (comics), Green Lantern, Hawkman and Atom (comics), was given the task of doing the same with Batman. Detective Comics No. 327 (1964#May) announced a "New Look" for DC's second oldest superhero. Gone were the aliens and science fiction themed stories, as were most of the large supporting cast of characters like Batwoman and Bat-Mite. The "New Look" focused stories on crime and mysteries. The Batmobile was revamped into a sports car and Batman's costume was refreshed with a yellow oval behind the bat symbol. History of the Batmobile: 1964 The image of the “New Look” Batmobile presented here is from Detective Comics No. 341 (1965#July).

The "discreet" Batmobile, 1971 The Batman (TV series) was so popular that its campy humor and the sleek Batmobile designed by George Barris (auto customizer) were quickly introduced into the Batman comic books. But the high camp and general silliness of the television show did not sit well with long-time Batman comic book fans. So, when the series was canceled in 1968 the comic books reacted by becoming darker and more serious. They abandoned many of the character's traditional accouterments and emphasized Batman's role as a detective. He no longer operated out of Wayne Manor or the Batcave. He and Alfred Pennyworth moved to a penthouse in Gotham City. Robin, the "Boy Wonder", was also gone (quite reasonably, Dick Grayson had grown up and left for college). Part of the change was a complete redesign of the Batmobile. Instead of flashing lights and scalloped fins, the new Batmobile was a discreet roadster with little to distinguish it from any other street vehicle except for the subdued bat-mask on the hood. History of the Batmobile: 1970

Although not as visually interesting as the other Batmobiles, this version was typical of the decade and representative of the strong desire of the creative teams producing the series to re-establish it as a "serious" title. As seen in the panel at left (from Batman #234, 1971), the roadster is not a real automobile but does combine the major design elements from two well known cars of the late 1960s, the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette.

A return to style, 1980 )

This Batmobile, used throughout the 1980s, represented a return to a more traditional style after the nondescript roadster of the 1970s. History of the Batmobile: 1978-1987 The twin bubble windshields and the fins on the rear fenders were reminiscent of the 1966 in television TV Batmobile, as was the rather small turbine exhaust nozzle in the rear of the car. The open cockpit was also like the TV Batmobile, but it was also similar to the sports car Batmobile from the early 1960s.

A multiplicity of styles, 1990s to the present . (Batman No. 694)

Beginning in the 1990s, the number of comics featuring Batman mushroomed with spin-off titles, limited series, and graphic novels. At the same time, there was considerable experimentation with styles of illustration. With different illustration styles appearing in so many different books, there was naturally a corresponding diversity of designs for the Batmobile. This has continued with designs for the Batmobile ranging from conservative and practical to highly stylized to outlandish. In Frank Miller (comics)'s The Dark Knight Returns for example, the Batmobile appears as a tank, a look that Chris Nolan adopted for his movie franchise.

In the Batman: Hush storyline, a splash page by Jim Lee shows all the previous Batmobiles (from comics, movies, and all TV series) in storage in the Batcave. A sample of dialogue between Batman and Dick Grayson supports this point: Batman: "We'll take the car." Nightwing: "O.K. Which one?" In addition, some incarnations of the character, such as Batman: The Animated Series, establish that Batman has a large ground vehicle fleet of various makes and models as well as utility vehicles to use when the Batmobile would be too conspicuous.

During the Batman: Cataclysm storyline, in which Gotham City's infrastructure was destroyed by a major earthquake, Batman took to the rubble-strewn streets in the "Bat-High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle". The Bat-Humvee has a 6.5-Litre Diesel engine/Internal combustion engine, raised Suspension (vehicle), and variable-pressure all-terrain tires.

In other media Movie serials, 1943 and 1949 .

Before television, movie serials were very popular and many comic book characters also made it into the serials. The first Batman (serial) was produced in 1943 in film. History of the Batmobile: 1943 The second, Batman and Robin (serial), was produced in 1949 in film. History of the Batmobile: 1949 Both suffered from low budgets and the “Batmobile” in each was simply a regular civilian automobile.

TV Batmobile, 1966

Perhaps the most famous Batmobile History of the Batmobile: 1966-1979, the one from the Batman (TV series), began life as a Concept car called the Lincoln Futura, built over a decade earlier in 1955. The body of the Futura was fabricated by Ghia of Italy, whose artisans hammered the car's panels over logs and tree stumps carved as forms to create the sleek manta ray-like car. In 1959 in film, the Futura was featured sporting a fresh red paint job in the film It Started With a Kiss, starring Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford. In 1965, American Broadcasting Company chose famed Hollywood customizer George Barris (auto customizer) to design a "Batmobile" for their soon-to-go-into production BATMAN show. With only three weeks, Barris decided that rather than build a car from scratch, it would be best to transform the Lincoln Futura (bought from Ford for United States dollar1.00) into the famous crime-fighting vehicle of TV's caped crusader. Barris hired Dean Jeffries to do the metal modifications to the car. When filming for the series began, several problems arose due to the age of the car: It overheated, the battery went dead, and the expensive Indy type tires provided by Mickey Thompson kept blowing. By midseason the drive train and chassis including a new 428 C.I.D. engine from a 1966 Ford Galaxie was installed replacing the original Lincoln Mark two units.

Barris built three fiberglass copies of the original Batmobile for exhibition on the car show circuit (one of which was used for exhibition drag racing). Eventually, the three copies were covered with a black velvet "fuzz" paint, presumably to hide stress cracks in the fiberglass bodies. Later, all three were restored to their gloss black paint job. The 3 replicas are all based on a 1965-1966 Ford Galaxie. Barris has retained ownership of the original TV car, which is currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. The three Barris copies all reside in private collections.

Cartoons, 1968 - 1986

From the late 1960s through the 1980s, several Saturday morning cartoon series featured DC’s superheroes, including Batman. These shows were The Batman/Superman Hour (1968 in television – 1969 in television), The New Adventures of Batman (1977 in television), and Super Friends (1973 in television – 1986 in television). Each show had a different design for the Batmobile, some taking influence from the popular 1960s television program.

The movies, 1989 - 1994

The next live-action depiction of Batman was a radical departure from the campy style of the 1960s TV series. In the 1989 in film Batman (1989 film) film, director Tim Burton created a dark, dangerous and fantastic Gotham. The Batmobile that roamed the streets of this Art Deco city reflected its environment. History of the Batmobile: 1989-1992 It was huge, long, low and sleek. It combined design elements from 1930s coupes like the Bugatti Type 57 and modern racing cars such as the :Image:Lowenbrau962.JPG and was built on a Chevy Impala chassis.

Gadgetry included twin retractable machine guns, and small bombs ejected from the wheels. To prevent tampering, the Tim Burton Batmobile featured an armored "cocoon" mode, a hard layered shell that would cover every inch of the vehicle, including the wheels. In Batman Returns, the Batmobile (by Jay Ohrberg) also had a secondary mode referred to as the "Batmissile", where the wheels would retract inward and the sides of the vehicle would break off, converting the car into a thin bullet train-like form capable of squeezing through tight alleyways, at the cost of destroying most of the car. Reputedly, every gadget seen on the Batmobile used in these films was fully functional, including the jet engine, which consumed fuel at such a high rate that there was only enough fuel capacity to run it for the approximately fifteen seconds of the longest shot in which you can see it operating. This version of the Batmobile was later seen in the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episode called "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape", an episode which shows that some collectors had apparently stolen the Batmobile.

Batman: The Animated Series, 1992-1995 .

The same year that the second Batman movie, Batman Returns, was released, a new television series began. Batman: The Animated Series used a distinctive visual combination of film noir imagery and Art Deco designs with a very dark color scheme, with elements of the Fleisher studios' Superman shorts. The show created an "otherworldly timelessness" by combining "vintage" design elements like police blimps and pre-World War II vehicle styles with modern components like jet propulsion and computers.

The Batmobile for the series also combined style elements from various eras to produce a long, low vehicle with square lines, long fins, and a blunt nose with a massive chrome grill that could have been from any time from the 1930s to the 1990s. History of the Batmobile: 1992 Among its features were: smoke and oil dispensers, wheel slasher hubs, a missile rack, tear gas dispensers, ejection seats, titanium alloy wheels and body panels, and reversible jet exhausts. It also had a "shield" mode to prevent people from tampering with the car when it was left unattended, though it was not as overt as the "cocoon" used on the 1989 movie Batmobile. Despite the obvious presence of the jet exhaust, the show frequently used sound effects from a reciprocating engine for the Batmobile's driving scenes. While the Batmobile in the series has two seats inside, it is shown having only one seat in the film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

Batman Forever, 1995 As the 1990s Batman films were handed over to director Joel Schumacher, the design for the Batmobile became increasingly fanciful, as decorative lighting was added to the vehicle's rims, sides and front edge, and the wing-shaped fins reached further into the air. In order to accentuate its intricate lines, the filmmakers indirectly lit the engine panels, wheels, and the undercarriage so that they appeared to glow blue Chicks Did the Car! Dashboard. The Batman Forever car also had a split cockpit canopy, separate fenders, and jet exhaust Kilmer Car - Batmobile Dashboard. The roof fin could be opened into a "V" shape for a more contemporary look. Finally, the wheels used a counter-rotating gear assembly to keep the bat-emblem hubcaps upright when the wheels were in motion. New abilities included a grappling hook allowing the Batmobile to drive up walls, as well as the speed to perform large jumps from surface to surface during chases across Gotham City's elevated freeways and gigantic statues.

The second Shumacher-era Batmobile did not feature a passenger seat or a canopy. Batman Forever was originally supposed to have a Batmobile designed by famed designer H. R. Giger, but Giger backed out of the project when Warner Bros. rejected his design.

The New Batman Adventures, 1997-1999 television series.

This sequel to Batman: The Animated Series introduced a style with simpler lines and shapes that was similar to the style used on Superman: The Animated Series. The Batmobile was also updated for the show, this time as a sleek two passenger coupe. Like the earlier cartoon, the only traditional Batmobile features it retained were the fins and split windshield. History of the Batmobile: 1997 Like other Batmobiles, it also had jet thrusters, although they were now a pair of long, thin slits on the rear bumper.

Though The New Batman Adventures ended its TV run in 1999 in television, this car design would be used throughout the comics based on the series and was the car used in the later Justice League (TV series) series.

Batman Beyond, 1999

The animated series Batman Beyond had a flying vehicle referred to as the Batmobile (in the show's future era, flying cars had become commonplace). History of the Batmobile: Batman Beyond
It is also speculated that the car Bruce Wayne uses in Batman Beyond, resembles the batmobile from the 1990s animated series. It is a possbility that he may have converted the older batmobile into his current car.

The Batman, 2004

In the animated series The Batman (TV series), the Batmobile resembled a sports coupe with multiple jet exhaust slits protruding from the back bumper. History of the Batmobile: 2004 In the List of The Batman episodes#Season Three episode "RPM (The Batman episode)", this Batmobile was wrecked beyond repair, and Batman completed a prototype design that included a Wayne Industries 'EXP' power generator. This Batmobile was longer and had a lower profile with only one triangular jet exhaust coming from the rear of the car. History of the Batmobile: 2005-2006 At the end of the episode, Batman remarks that due to the Batmobile EXP's success, it's a "keeper." In the List of The Batman episodes#Season Four, an episode explored Gotham City in the year 2027, complete with a new tank-like Batmobile reminiscent of Frank Miller (comics)'s design for the Batmobile in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

Batman Begins, 2005

The Batmobile depicted in the 2005 in film film Batman Begins owes more to the tank-like vehicle from Frank Miller (comics)'s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns than to the sleek automobiles seen in previous movies. History of the Batmobile: 2005 “Tumbler” The film's production designer described the machine as being a cross between a Lamborghini and a Hummer. In the film, Bruce Wayne modifies a military vehicle known as the “Tumbler.” The vehicle that he creates is never referred to as the "Batmobile." In the various interior sequences of the Batmobile/Tumbler being driven, it appears to drive like a boat, based on throttle placement, use, and construction. Four individual Batmobiles were built for filming in the movie, each with a special purpose to meet the various stunt needs of the film: two regular, full-size driving Batmobiles for exterior shots; one full-size model with hydraulics for the jump sequences; one full-size functional vehicle with propane tanks to fuel the rocket blast out of the rear nozzle and a 1/3-scale radio-controlled electric model for the most involved stunts in the film (e.g. the roof-top chase sequence). The scale model scenes were filmed on a massive set built on a stage at Shepperton Studios over the course of nine weeks. The full-sized vehicles were driven and filmed on the streets of Chicago, Illinois.

Batmobiles on display , in front of Batman: The Ride.

A replica of the Batman Forever Batmobile is currently located at Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, Cumbria, northern England. Another version can also been seen on the Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour. Replicas of the Tim Burton-era Batmobiles are on display in front of several Batman: The Ride roller coasters.




List of Batmobiles in other media



















The Batmobile in popular culture

In the cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Batmobile is seen turning into a batplane and submarine/boat.

References External links

The Batmobile is the fictional personal automobile of comic book superhero Batman. The car has followed the evolution of the character from comic books to television to films.

Technical description The standard features of the vehicle include a laser beam, chassis with heavy armor plating, a nuclear bomb strapped to the back, a button for calling in Superman for backup, a high performance engine, sometimes with rocket boosts for increased speed, special devices to improve maneuverability, and mounted weapons to disable vehicles and remove obstacles. In addition, the vehicle typically carries the highly intelligent computer that is remotely linked to the Batcave's main computer, a remote control function, a field forensic kit and a personal small helicopter held in the trunk called a whirlybat.

The vehicle has changed frequently over the decades. In the early stages of Batman's career, the Batmobile was a modified sedan with armor but it has evolved into a technologically advanced custom-built automobile.

The Batmobile has sometimes been described as being powered by nuclear fuel. It was part of the launch checklist from the 1966 in television Batman (TV series) ("Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed!"). And, in Batman Returns, one of the Penguin (comics)’s schemes to kill Batman is to turn the Batmobile into "a H-bomb on wheels."

History Before the Batmobile - 1939

Batman made his very first appearance in Detective Comics No. 27 (1939#May). Although the Batplane was introduced only four issues later, in Detective Comics No. 31, the strip's creators didn't seem to realize the need for a comparable ground vehicle until a year and a half later. Initially, Batman simply drove around in several ordinary cars. Detective Comics No. 30 (1939#August) is the first instance of Batman's automobile being identified as anything other than a standard product of Detroit, Michigan. Readers learn that the Batman drives a "specially built high-powered auto". Except for the unusually long hood, it looks very much like a 1937 Ford Coupe (especially in the grill treatment).

The first Batmobile - 1941

In Detective Comics No. 48 (1941#February) the name "Batmobile" was first applied to Batman and Robin (comics)'s automobile. History of the Batmobile: 1941 But it was not the distinctive black car with the tall scalloped fin and the intimidating bathead on the front that for decades was instantly recognized as "the" Batmobile. Instead, it is a bright red convertible whose only distinguishing mark is a small bat-shaped hood ornament. It is, however, so fast that bystanders cannot believe their eyes.

The classic Batmobile - 1941

Batman No. 5 (Spring 1941) introduced the form of the Batmobile that would become standard until the early 1960s. History of the Batmobile: 1941 The new Batmobile was a long, powerful, streamlined automobile with a tall scalloped fin and an intimidating bathead on the front. There was no doubt about to whom this car belonged. Three pages after it was introduced, the new Batmobile was forced off a cliff by the Joker (comics) to crash in the ravine below. This inauspicious beginning did not taint the Batmobile's career, however. Another, identical Batmobile was streaking through the panels of the very next story in the same issue.

The “Batmobile of 1950” . (Detective Comics No. 156)It took Detroit, Michigan a few years after World War II to switch from wartime production back to turning out new cars. But, by 1950, new, sleeker designs were hitting the streets and the Batmobile of the 1940s was starting to look a little old-fashioned. So it probably wasn't a big surprise that the 1950#February issue of Detective Comics told the story of the creation of a brand new Batmobile. History of the Batmobile: 1950

Batman and Robin constructed the new Batmobile right in the Batcave. It is interesting to see that they do all the work themselves. Later stories had the Batmobile built by a mechanic who owed his life to Batman but, in 1950, they didn't need outside help. The new Batmobile was sleek and modern looking (by the standards of the time) and it was equipped with a large array of crime fighting equipment, including rocket tubes in the rear for super-acceleration and speed, a radar antenna in the fin, radar and television screens in the dash, a complete crime laboratory in the rear, a search light that projected a Bat-signal or a special infrared beam, and a razor sharp blade in the Bat-mask on the front of the car to cut through barriers. As Batman said, "It's ten years ahead of anything else on wheels."

The “new look,” 1964

By 1964, the sales of Batman comics had fallen drastically and DC considered canceling the title. But editor Julius Schwartz, who had produced hits by modernizing and updating old characters like the Flash (comics), Green Lantern, Hawkman and Atom (comics), was given the task of doing the same with Batman. Detective Comics No. 327 (1964#May) announced a "New Look" for DC's second oldest superhero. Gone were the aliens and science fiction themed stories, as were most of the large supporting cast of characters like Batwoman and Bat-Mite. The "New Look" focused stories on crime and mysteries. The Batmobile was revamped into a sports car and Batman's costume was refreshed with a yellow oval behind the bat symbol. History of the Batmobile: 1964 The image of the “New Look” Batmobile presented here is from Detective Comics No. 341 (1965#July).

The "discreet" Batmobile, 1971 The Batman (TV series) was so popular that its campy humor and the sleek Batmobile designed by George Barris (auto customizer) were quickly introduced into the Batman comic books. But the high camp and general silliness of the television show did not sit well with long-time Batman comic book fans. So, when the series was canceled in 1968 the comic books reacted by becoming darker and more serious. They abandoned many of the character's traditional accouterments and emphasized Batman's role as a detective. He no longer operated out of Wayne Manor or the Batcave. He and Alfred Pennyworth moved to a penthouse in Gotham City. Robin, the "Boy Wonder", was also gone (quite reasonably, Dick Grayson had grown up and left for college). Part of the change was a complete redesign of the Batmobile. Instead of flashing lights and scalloped fins, the new Batmobile was a discreet roadster with little to distinguish it from any other street vehicle except for the subdued bat-mask on the hood. History of the Batmobile: 1970

Although not as visually interesting as the other Batmobiles, this version was typical of the decade and representative of the strong desire of the creative teams producing the series to re-establish it as a "serious" title. As seen in the panel at left (from Batman #234, 1971), the roadster is not a real automobile but does combine the major design elements from two well known cars of the late 1960s, the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette.

A return to style, 1980 )

This Batmobile, used throughout the 1980s, represented a return to a more traditional style after the nondescript roadster of the 1970s. History of the Batmobile: 1978-1987 The twin bubble windshields and the fins on the rear fenders were reminiscent of the 1966 in television TV Batmobile, as was the rather small turbine exhaust nozzle in the rear of the car. The open cockpit was also like the TV Batmobile, but it was also similar to the sports car Batmobile from the early 1960s.

A multiplicity of styles, 1990s to the present . (Batman No. 694)

Beginning in the 1990s, the number of comics featuring Batman mushroomed with spin-off titles, limited series, and graphic novels. At the same time, there was considerable experimentation with styles of illustration. With different illustration styles appearing in so many different books, there was naturally a corresponding diversity of designs for the Batmobile. This has continued with designs for the Batmobile ranging from conservative and practical to highly stylized to outlandish. In Frank Miller (comics)'s The Dark Knight Returns for example, the Batmobile appears as a tank, a look that Chris Nolan adopted for his movie franchise.

In the Batman: Hush storyline, a splash page by Jim Lee shows all the previous Batmobiles (from comics, movies, and all TV series) in storage in the Batcave. A sample of dialogue between Batman and Dick Grayson supports this point: Batman: "We'll take the car." Nightwing: "O.K. Which one?" In addition, some incarnations of the character, such as Batman: The Animated Series, establish that Batman has a large ground vehicle fleet of various makes and models as well as utility vehicles to use when the Batmobile would be too conspicuous.

During the Batman: Cataclysm storyline, in which Gotham City's infrastructure was destroyed by a major earthquake, Batman took to the rubble-strewn streets in the "Bat-High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle". The Bat-Humvee has a 6.5-Litre Diesel engine/Internal combustion engine, raised Suspension (vehicle), and variable-pressure all-terrain tires.

In other media Movie serials, 1943 and 1949 .

Before television, movie serials were very popular and many comic book characters also made it into the serials. The first Batman (serial) was produced in 1943 in film. History of the Batmobile: 1943 The second, Batman and Robin (serial), was produced in 1949 in film. History of the Batmobile: 1949 Both suffered from low budgets and the “Batmobile” in each was simply a regular civilian automobile.

TV Batmobile, 1966

Perhaps the most famous Batmobile History of the Batmobile: 1966-1979, the one from the Batman (TV series), began life as a Concept car called the Lincoln Futura, built over a decade earlier in 1955. The body of the Futura was fabricated by Ghia of Italy, whose artisans hammered the car's panels over logs and tree stumps carved as forms to create the sleek manta ray-like car. In 1959 in film, the Futura was featured sporting a fresh red paint job in the film It Started With a Kiss, starring Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford. In 1965, American Broadcasting Company chose famed Hollywood customizer George Barris (auto customizer) to design a "Batmobile" for their soon-to-go-into production BATMAN show. With only three weeks, Barris decided that rather than build a car from scratch, it would be best to transform the Lincoln Futura (bought from Ford for United States dollar1.00) into the famous crime-fighting vehicle of TV's caped crusader. Barris hired Dean Jeffries to do the metal modifications to the car. When filming for the series began, several problems arose due to the age of the car: It overheated, the battery went dead, and the expensive Indy type tires provided by Mickey Thompson kept blowing. By midseason the drive train and chassis including a new 428 C.I.D. engine from a 1966 Ford Galaxie was installed replacing the original Lincoln Mark two units.

Barris built three fiberglass copies of the original Batmobile for exhibition on the car show circuit (one of which was used for exhibition drag racing). Eventually, the three copies were covered with a black velvet "fuzz" paint, presumably to hide stress cracks in the fiberglass bodies. Later, all three were restored to their gloss black paint job. The 3 replicas are all based on a 1965-1966 Ford Galaxie. Barris has retained ownership of the original TV car, which is currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. The three Barris copies all reside in private collections.

Cartoons, 1968 - 1986

From the late 1960s through the 1980s, several Saturday morning cartoon series featured DC’s superheroes, including Batman. These shows were The Batman/Superman Hour (1968 in television – 1969 in television), The New Adventures of Batman (1977 in television), and Super Friends (1973 in television – 1986 in television). Each show had a different design for the Batmobile, some taking influence from the popular 1960s television program.

The movies, 1989 - 1994

The next live-action depiction of Batman was a radical departure from the campy style of the 1960s TV series. In the 1989 in film Batman (1989 film) film, director Tim Burton created a dark, dangerous and fantastic Gotham. The Batmobile that roamed the streets of this Art Deco city reflected its environment. History of the Batmobile: 1989-1992 It was huge, long, low and sleek. It combined design elements from 1930s coupes like the Bugatti Type 57 and modern racing cars such as the :Image:Lowenbrau962.JPG and was built on a Chevy Impala chassis.

Gadgetry included twin retractable machine guns, and small bombs ejected from the wheels. To prevent tampering, the Tim Burton Batmobile featured an armored "cocoon" mode, a hard layered shell that would cover every inch of the vehicle, including the wheels. In Batman Returns, the Batmobile (by Jay Ohrberg) also had a secondary mode referred to as the "Batmissile", where the wheels would retract inward and the sides of the vehicle would break off, converting the car into a thin bullet train-like form capable of squeezing through tight alleyways, at the cost of destroying most of the car. Reputedly, every gadget seen on the Batmobile used in these films was fully functional, including the jet engine, which consumed fuel at such a high rate that there was only enough fuel capacity to run it for the approximately fifteen seconds of the longest shot in which you can see it operating. This version of the Batmobile was later seen in the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episode called "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape", an episode which shows that some collectors had apparently stolen the Batmobile.

Batman: The Animated Series, 1992-1995 .

The same year that the second Batman movie, Batman Returns, was released, a new television series began. Batman: The Animated Series used a distinctive visual combination of film noir imagery and Art Deco designs with a very dark color scheme, with elements of the Fleisher studios' Superman shorts. The show created an "otherworldly timelessness" by combining "vintage" design elements like police blimps and pre-World War II vehicle styles with modern components like jet propulsion and computers.

The Batmobile for the series also combined style elements from various eras to produce a long, low vehicle with square lines, long fins, and a blunt nose with a massive chrome grill that could have been from any time from the 1930s to the 1990s. History of the Batmobile: 1992 Among its features were: smoke and oil dispensers, wheel slasher hubs, a missile rack, tear gas dispensers, ejection seats, titanium alloy wheels and body panels, and reversible jet exhausts. It also had a "shield" mode to prevent people from tampering with the car when it was left unattended, though it was not as overt as the "cocoon" used on the 1989 movie Batmobile. Despite the obvious presence of the jet exhaust, the show frequently used sound effects from a reciprocating engine for the Batmobile's driving scenes. While the Batmobile in the series has two seats inside, it is shown having only one seat in the film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

Batman Forever, 1995 As the 1990s Batman films were handed over to director Joel Schumacher, the design for the Batmobile became increasingly fanciful, as decorative lighting was added to the vehicle's rims, sides and front edge, and the wing-shaped fins reached further into the air. In order to accentuate its intricate lines, the filmmakers indirectly lit the engine panels, wheels, and the undercarriage so that they appeared to glow blue Chicks Did the Car! Dashboard. The Batman Forever car also had a split cockpit canopy, separate fenders, and jet exhaust Kilmer Car - Batmobile Dashboard. The roof fin could be opened into a "V" shape for a more contemporary look. Finally, the wheels used a counter-rotating gear assembly to keep the bat-emblem hubcaps upright when the wheels were in motion. New abilities included a grappling hook allowing the Batmobile to drive up walls, as well as the speed to perform large jumps from surface to surface during chases across Gotham City's elevated freeways and gigantic statues.

The second Shumacher-era Batmobile did not feature a passenger seat or a canopy. Batman Forever was originally supposed to have a Batmobile designed by famed designer H. R. Giger, but Giger backed out of the project when Warner Bros. rejected his design.

The New Batman Adventures, 1997-1999 television series.

This sequel to Batman: The Animated Series introduced a style with simpler lines and shapes that was similar to the style used on Superman: The Animated Series. The Batmobile was also updated for the show, this time as a sleek two passenger coupe. Like the earlier cartoon, the only traditional Batmobile features it retained were the fins and split windshield. History of the Batmobile: 1997 Like other Batmobiles, it also had jet thrusters, although they were now a pair of long, thin slits on the rear bumper.

Though The New Batman Adventures ended its TV run in 1999 in television, this car design would be used throughout the comics based on the series and was the car used in the later Justice League (TV series) series.

Batman Beyond, 1999

The animated series Batman Beyond had a flying vehicle referred to as the Batmobile (in the show's future era, flying cars had become commonplace). History of the Batmobile: Batman Beyond
It is also speculated that the car Bruce Wayne uses in Batman Beyond, resembles the batmobile from the 1990s animated series. It is a possbility that he may have converted the older batmobile into his current car.

The Batman, 2004

In the animated series The Batman (TV series), the Batmobile resembled a sports coupe with multiple jet exhaust slits protruding from the back bumper. History of the Batmobile: 2004 In the List of The Batman episodes#Season Three episode "RPM (The Batman episode)", this Batmobile was wrecked beyond repair, and Batman completed a prototype design that included a Wayne Industries 'EXP' power generator. This Batmobile was longer and had a lower profile with only one triangular jet exhaust coming from the rear of the car. History of the Batmobile: 2005-2006 At the end of the episode, Batman remarks that due to the Batmobile EXP's success, it's a "keeper." In the List of The Batman episodes#Season Four, an episode explored Gotham City in the year 2027, complete with a new tank-like Batmobile reminiscent of Frank Miller (comics)'s design for the Batmobile in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

Batman Begins, 2005

The Batmobile depicted in the 2005 in film film Batman Begins owes more to the tank-like vehicle from Frank Miller (comics)'s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns than to the sleek automobiles seen in previous movies. History of the Batmobile: 2005 “Tumbler” The film's production designer described the machine as being a cross between a Lamborghini and a Hummer. In the film, Bruce Wayne modifies a military vehicle known as the “Tumbler.” The vehicle that he creates is never referred to as the "Batmobile." In the various interior sequences of the Batmobile/Tumbler being driven, it appears to drive like a boat, based on throttle placement, use, and construction. Four individual Batmobiles were built for filming in the movie, each with a special purpose to meet the various stunt needs of the film: two regular, full-size driving Batmobiles for exterior shots; one full-size model with hydraulics for the jump sequences; one full-size functional vehicle with propane tanks to fuel the rocket blast out of the rear nozzle and a 1/3-scale radio-controlled electric model for the most involved stunts in the film (e.g. the roof-top chase sequence). The scale model scenes were filmed on a massive set built on a stage at Shepperton Studios over the course of nine weeks. The full-sized vehicles were driven and filmed on the streets of Chicago, Illinois.

Batmobiles on display , in front of Batman: The Ride.

A replica of the Batman Forever Batmobile is currently located at Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, Cumbria, northern England. Another version can also been seen on the Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour. Replicas of the Tim Burton-era Batmobiles are on display in front of several Batman: The Ride roller coasters.




List of Batmobiles in other media



















The Batmobile in popular culture

In the cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Batmobile is seen turning into a batplane and submarine/boat.

References External links



 

Batmobile



 
Copyright © 2008 Hintcenter.com - All rights reserved.
Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
All Trademarks belong to their repective owners. Many aspects of this page are used under
commercial commons license from Yahoo!