The car nerds are still talking about the 4.2 million dollars that the Batmobile brought at auction, and before the buzz dies an enterprising eBay seller is angling to take advantage of the popularity by selling what he claims is the first Batmobile.
According to the seller, this car was leased by an ice-cream company to be used as
the "Batmobile" for a promotion. He does have some old newspaper clippings hailing that "The Batmobile" was coming to town. The seller has an opening bid of $19,800 that has not been met yet.
Check out the photos and the seller's story below!
Dear Friends: Before George Barris built from August to October 1965 the Batmobile that was in the original 1966 Batman TV series, my Batmobile was driving around New England in 1964 and 1965 promoting All Star Dairies Batman and Robin milk, ice cream and fruit drinks, which were licensed by D.C. Comics ! The 1965-66 George Barris Batmobile proved so successful, Barris was hired to pull a fiberglass plug mold off of the original car, and build three more fiberglass copies, for use in the TV series and movies. Barris kept the original car, and 2 weeks ago it sold at the Barrett Jackson auction in Arizona for $4.6 MILLION DOLLARS! What is this car worth, especially restored???
Yes that's right, this icon has been hidden away for decades, only to come back on the scene, after much research, and locating the person, still living, that built it from 1961 to 1963. I did an extensive phone interview with him and his wife several months ago. This car was hand built by a gentleman in New Hampshire, as stated, from 1961 to 1963 in his garage. He bought a mid 1950s rolling Oldsmobile chassis, then preceded to build his own fiberglass mold, and pull this body off as a plug! The 2 flat tails look like that of a 1959 Chevy. For the windshield he used a mid 1950’s Buick one turned upside down!
In 1964 he was in the US Army and was on tour with his wife and this car, in North Carolina. The executives at All Star Dairies, a national dairy co-op, still in business in Louisville, Kentucky, approached the owner about leasing the car from him for 2 years, and painting and badging it as the All Star Dairy Batmobile. All Star Dairies had a legal agreement with National Periodic Publications, which owned and still owns D.C. Comics, and thus Batman and Robin, Superman, etc. to manufacture and sell Batman dairy products. Remember this was the height of the Batman craze! In fact all of the Batman drinks, milk, ice cream and promotional buttons I have collected, and come with the car, have "Copy write 1966, National Periodical Publications " printed on them. I emailed the President of All Star Dairies in Louisville, and he remembered the company's Batman promotion, and their company renting the car. Likewise I spoke with a person in the illustrations department of D.C. Comics in New York City, and he too was familiar with the Batman dairy products All Star Dairy promotion. No the car was not licensed by D.C. Comics, but Batman dairy products were licensed by D.C. Comics to be promoted by All Star Dairies, and All Star Dairies leased this car as their Batmobile for 2 years. (See attached newspaper article from a Keene N.H. newspaper around 1966). The original owner kept the car for several years after getting it back from All Star Dairies, then sold it to a gentleman also in N.H. there it languished until going to Chicago, and now to me in Ocala, Fla. I was able to buy all of the Batman promo items that come with the car off of Ebay.
The car needs a full restoration but is in very straight and niceoriginal condition. The wheels are later mags and need to be replaced with 1950s wheels and hubcaps. The fiberglass body is exceptionally straight and 99% complete. The metal parts have only minor surface rust. The running gear is stock circa 1957 V8. Olds. Thus parts are no problem and this car should fly! A windshield from a mid 1950s Buick should be an easy find. The other main thing missing is the three adult wide passenger seat. The builder told me to make the seat, he merely took a 3 inch cardboard tube, put it at the back of the seating area, high back, then put another cardboard tube and placed it right under your knees, as if you were sitting in the car. Then he draped fiberglass cloth over the 2, put resin on the cloth, and it set up as the seat! Then he put cushions on it. The photo of the car in its original purple came from the builder. That's his wife in front of it in N. Carolina in 1964, right when they leased it to All Star Dairies.
The doors slide into the body like a Kaiser Darrin. The car is WIDE at 83 inches, and is 210 inches long. The body will unbolt off the frame easily, and thus you have full access to the running gear, frame, motor and trans, etc. and ease to restore the body. This would be an AMAZING piece restored and shown or be the focal point of a collection of museum. The radical 3 tailed back with light up fins is a show stopper! Lots of photos avail. by email to serious buyers. I will assist with shipping. Car stored in Ocala, Fla. The car is for sale locally and I reserve the right to end the auction early. Comes with a clear Florida title. I don't need or have to sell it, but I am busy with other projects, and this car deserves to be restored and enjoyed.
Source: eBay
_websize.jpg)
