Batmobile clone sold as real deal!

Whenever I drive my batmobile a crowd always gathers.





Hello Robin....where are you??

 

Plenty!!
This one is out the back of Starbirds:



This one was on Ebay last year:


I read an interview with Barris,and he always said there was 6 built.
There seems to be about 60 of 'em these days!
There was one in New Zealand a few years ago - They're everywhere!!

Cheers,PJ

 

George Barris shop built 4 batmobiles 1 steel and 3 fibergl***. The 3 fibergl*** ones started showing stress cracks and they put on what they calls bat fuzz. Then they took the bat fuzz off and fixed the stress cracks and started selling the cars after they were restored. To this day George still has number one and a few years ago some guy asked if he was going to sell it. How much would he want for it and George said 1 million dollars. I bet today it'll be more.

 

Holy two year old thread! POW!

 

I built the '57 Lincoln version for Jay Ohrberg in 1987. I used a 1/25 scale model to duplicate the shape. I had to section the car about a foot to get the perportions right. The reason the car brought so much money at that auction was it was the only metal one built besides the original Futura that George still has. If you look a the pics of the one I built, the hood looks different from the original. The reason is after sectioning the car, the carb and valve covers actually stuck up through the hood. I had to shape the hood AROUND the motor. I built the car with a couple of helpers in 9 weeks. It went to New Zealand first and then on a world tour. I went to New Zealand with the car to show the owners how to operate the car. When I got the car in primer, Jay sent it to a fibergl*** shop to make molds. He is building knockoffs from those molds today. If you go to his website you will see the same weird hood shape. Most people would never notice that. The car in construction can be seen on my avatar. I actually never saw this thread before today so I thought I would add my 2 cents.

 

Here are three photos of Bill Cushenbery with the steel Batmobile built in HIS shop!

Photos where send to me by Jack Smallwood. He mentioned that this is Bill's shop in North Hollywood about 6 blocks from the Barris Shop

 

Those are priceless photos Rik... thats the REAL Futura. The car I built for Jay was actually called # 7. There was an article on the car in a swedish mag in 1988. I think it was Chrome and Flames but I can't remember for sure. Do you have any more photos? Thanks again for posting those.

 

The mag was WHEELS March 1988...

 

Laugh if you want, but I always felt the Batmobile had perfect lines and stance. I know it's not jus me, either because last week the original 1966 Batman movie was on AMC and my son and I watched it and even he loved the old car better and he's only 8.

 

A friend of mine knows a guy out here in So Cal that has built quite a few fibergl*** clones using Vette donor parts. Outside they look pretty darn close to original. Of course he claims they are better than Barris'. LOL

 

While I probably wouldn't yank the body off my wife's '69, 427 vette for a Batmobile, I can see robbing one of the many low-dollar used vettes out there. Do you have any info or a web site for the builder you mentioned? I'm not in the market, but it would be fun to see.

 

even batman can have an off day.

 

Proof at last.

Very cool pics...

 

Don't think he has a web site and I think he's kind of a hack so i don't really want to promote him.

 

I approve of this picture.

 

julie newmar?

 

don't forget batgirl...

 

Dude!!! that made me laugh!!!!!!!

 

That's ****in hilarious!!!!!!

 

coolest part of that car in my opinion was the wheel.. love to have one of those..

 

I hope the gauge stays put when the wheel is turned(?).

 

I saw that one too. WTF??

 

HELLO I LOVE BATMAN DO YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS FOR SALE? THANK YOU
juvenileautomobiles.com

 

There were only the four "real" Batmobiles and three of those are clones of the actual real one.

http://www.1966batmobile.com/replica.htm

But what's the Cushenberry deal? Did he start building it and Barris finish it or what? What dates are those photos?

George was at a local car show a couple weeks ago and didn't seem real talkative about that 1966batmobile.com site which I think is a great one.
I didn't ask about the #5 car from Quebec that was built off a Tbird.
http://www.1966batmobile.com/replica5.htm

The way that story reads makes me wonder if he got the car in a lawsuit, after all here is a fake being toured to shows making money off his idea, but George was in a happy mood and i didn't want to spoil that.

But Google is my friend...
http://www.comicbookbin.com/bubble120.html

"Around 1967, it was discovered a fifth Batmobile was plying the exhibition circuit throughout the United States and Canada. The car was created by Jim Sermersheim, but in the course of legal action for infringing on Barris’ patented designs, Barris took possession of the unathorized reproduction. Legend has it - though unconfirmed - it may have been used as a stunt car for the show. Afterwards it gradually deteriorated until Barris sold it to custom car collector Bob ****s of Fantasy Cars in El Cajon, CA., who restored it in the mid-1980s. "

 

Did thay ever build A bat sled for MN winter travel?.............Rich