Recreation of the Batmobile features autographs from Adam West and other stars of the Sixties TV series.
Some concept cars shine bright for the duration of the auto show season, then get stored in a warehouse somewhere and forgotten. Others are eventually made into production cars that look as much like the concept as safety laws and finances permit. Then there are one-offs such as the 1955 Lincoln Futura, which most of us know better as the car it eventually became: the Adam West Batmobile.
Customizer George Barris got ahold of the futuristic display and eventually turned it into one of the most recognizable cars ever. You’ve seen it before. Long black body, double-bubble clear roof, huge rear fins, rocket booster, and loads of gadgets. This custom 1966 Batmobile for sale in Florida from Classic Cars may not have a functioning Bat Ram or Bat Scope, but it sure looks the part.
Unfortunately, the official description of it doesn’t reveal much other than it has an automatic transmission. You have to look at the pictures to get a better idea of what’s going on with this creation. The body looks straight. The black and red paint that covers it appears to be in excellent shape. There doesn’t seem to be much wear on the seats or interior carpeting.
All labels and switchgear for features ranging from a Bat Ray Projector to a Detect-A-Scope seem clean and seldom used. We doubt the red Bat-phone works, but the rear-view camera certainly does. Let’s hope the fire extinguisher does, too. It would be a shame for the signatures from Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, and Lee Meriwether to go up in smoke.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
