Batmobile 1966 01

Experienced Hollywood car customizer, George Barris, was contracted to produce a Batmobile for the show. Barris decided to use an obsolete show car, the Lincoln Futura, as the basis for his conversion. It was an inspired decision. The unique design of the Futura and Barris' modifications to it produced a vehicle that was radically different from the comic book Batmobile, but the sleek, powerful car with the long sweeping fins was readily accepted by the public as the real Batmobile. (Historical note: at the same time that Batman made the move from comic books to television, George Barris was appearing in comic books, in advertisements for AMT's line of model kits based on Barris' customized cars.) The show quickly became so popular that the campy humor and the Barris-designed Batmobile were introduced into the comic books.