Batmobile at Barrett Jackson Auction this week - What will it go for?

[DarrenSmith]

On Friday, Barret Jackson is auctioning off lot 994 - 1966 Batmobile Recreation. How much do you think it will go for? Looking forward to watching it on the Speed Channel.

 

Here is Barrett Jackson's info on the Batmobile:

 

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/search/carlist_Details.aspx?&In_LotNumber=994

[The Question?]

 

 

Given the plethora of REAL, and desirable cars at this auction, i'd say this really is more about "show" than real go...if you catch my drift

 

 

I'd guess no more than $250,000+

[comix4fun]

On Friday, Barret Jackson is auctioning off lot 994 - 1966 Batmobile Recreation. How much do you think it will go for? Looking forward to watching it on the Speed Channel.

 

Here is Barrett Jackson's info on the Batmobile:

 

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/search/carlist_Details.aspx?&In_LotNumber=994

 

 

Well, it's just a glorified "kit" car. The only connection this one has to the TV show is that it looks like it.

 

Real classic car collectors would only pay a serious premium for one of the cars that was either 1) used on the show, 2) used on the promotional tour, or 3) built by Barris.

 

This one doesn't have any of the three that I can see.

 

C

[The Question?]

On Friday, Barret Jackson is auctioning off lot 994 - 1966 Batmobile Recreation. How much do you think it will go for? Looking forward to watching it on the Speed Channel.

 

Here is Barrett Jackson's info on the Batmobile:

 

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/search/carlist_Details.aspx?&In_LotNumber=994

 

 

Well, it's just a glorified "kit" car. The only connection this one has to the TV show is that it looks like it.

 

Real classic car collectors would only pay a serious premium for one of the cars that was either 1) used on the show, 2) used on the promotional tour, or 3) built by Barris.

 

This one doesn't have any of the three that I can see.

 

C

 

 

 

Ah geeze...I thought it WAS a car used on the show? no? wow

 

elsewise, its essentially worthless ...except to the person that REALLY wants as C4F wrote, a Batman KIT car

 

wow...that's...bizarre, on a few levels, like...why would BJ want to auction this car? if it didn't have a marketing lineage to speak of they would seem to be (to me as well) a bit higher on the food chain in terms of being the high end for real, rare, and classic automobiles.

 

Then again, they are auctioning rock memorabila, sports, and more this year guess the 'greed bug' has bitten them already

 

 

keep it simple man, keep it simple...that's a solid business model, hope BJ realizes this soon.

[esquirecomics]

 

Given the plethora of REAL, and desirable cars at this auction, i'd say this really is more about "show" than real go...if you catch my drift

 

 

I'd guess no more than $250,000+

 

Even the real cars from the show weren't typically selling for that much. But one never knows.

[The Question?]

 

Given the plethora of REAL, and desirable cars at this auction, i'd say this really is more about "show" than real go...if you catch my drift

 

 

I'd guess no more than $250,000+

 

Even the real cars from the show weren't typically selling for that much. But one never knows.

 

Oh, yes, understood Mark...but I still believe as I thought earlier, that had this been an actual set used Batmobile, or show associated in anyway, it might have sold for around that price. I believe one sold for more than that a few years back

 

anyway, that's all I was originally hypothesizing ... (thumbs u

[DarrenSmith]

It's not an original from the show, but its not a kit car either. Barrett Jackson has the car sitting in the pavilion area so they must think it will bring some serious cash. Would be interesting to see. I hear it shoots out a six foot flame out the back.

 

 

 

[snitzer]

I'm going to estimate 125k-150k...wonder if Speed will have this as a "send us your best guess estimate" bid item? Good item for that. The reason for Barrett Jackson having this car may not be exclusive to generating bidding hype and a monster sale, but more marketing hype related. It's got us comic geeks yappin about it I'd be curious re: how many cross-over collectors there are between comics 'n cars.

[The Question?]

I'm going to estimate 125k-150k...wonder if Speed will have this as a "send us your best guess estimate" bid item? Good item for that. The reason for Barrett Jackson having this car may not be exclusive to generating bidding hype and a monster sale, but more marketing hype related. It's got us comic geeks yappin about it I'd be curious re: how many cross-over collectors there are between comics 'n cars.

 

 

 

 

I be one...

[Pitboss]

I'm going to estimate 125k-150k...wonder if Speed will have this as a "send us your best guess estimate" bid item? Good item for that. The reason for Barrett Jackson having this car may not be exclusive to generating bidding hype and a monster sale, but more marketing hype related. It's got us comic geeks yappin about it I'd be curious re: how many cross-over collectors there are between comics 'n cars.

 

[TFL-migration]

It wont go anywhere near $150K IMHO I'd say around $60k - $75K......

[delekkerste]

It wont go anywhere near $150K IMHO I'd say around $60k - $75K......

 

Surely it's got to be worth more than that just for the novelty value alone?

 

I'm going to guess $120K though that's just pulling a number out of the air. Hopefully someone will post the result here after the auction ends.

 

[The Question?]

 

 

LotNumber 994

Year 1974

CarMake LINCOLN

CarModel

CarStyle 2 DOOR "BATMOBILE RE-CREATION"

ExteriorColor BLACK

Interiorcolor BLACK

Cylinders V8

Engine 460

Transmission 3-SPEED AUTOMATIC

Summary A beautiful 1974 Lincoln 2 door has been transformed into the World famous 1966 Batmobile. This re-creation one of the most recognizable celebrity car in the World.

Description The Batmobile offered here is a beautiful re-creation of the 1966 Bat 1, which is the original Batmobile that George Barris built from the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. Each of its hand-crafted features were carefully researched for accuracy. This included exacting body dimensions, functional flashing lights, drag chutes, machined turbine with real flame thrower, cockpit domes, interior switches, gadget buttons, full gauges, wheel spinners and important Caped Crusader options including the bat phone, bat scanner, bat ram, leather seats, etc. Built for function and performance, the chassis is a 1974 Lincoln with a 460 V8 making the car comfortable and reliable for everyday use. It is by far one of the most recognizable celebrity car in the world and still turns more heads and draws a larger crowd than any other car on the road today.

Vehicle Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadroch]

I'm thinking you could pull down serious money from an awful lot of car and comic shows for appearence fees.Tod Mac wanted $5,000 for a two day Spawn mobile appearence back around 1990.This has to go for more. Store openings,parades,FCD.- I think this will exceed $200,000.

It will be interesting.

[comix4fun]

It's not an original from the show, but its not a kit car either. Barrett Jackson has the car sitting in the pavilion area so they must think it will bring some serious cash. Would be interesting to see. I hear it shoots out a six foot flame out the back.

 

 

 

 

I realize it's not a kit car...that's why I called it a glorified kit car. This is akin to the Shelby Cobra kits that were available they were exact fabrications of the original but with more modern parts and all the accessories to make it look and feel like the real thing right down to a crate motor to make the thing fly. But they aren't the real thing and at auction you scarcely see return on your investment.

 

When people buy a Shelby Cobra they want one that was built by Shelby or at least by his factory. When people buy a batmobile for any significant dollars they want a real batmobile.

 

I have no doubt this Batmobile was expensive to fabricate and assemble. It has all the bells and whistles and looks good but when you come down to it it has no connection to the show other than it's looks. It wasn't even built out of the same car body,

 

And recreations like this are not that rare....there is another one of these that goes to auction a few weeks after the Barrett Jackson one.

 

Another recreated Batmobile for Auction.

 

Check out this site for the details on the real deal:

 

1966 Batmobile Specs

 

and

 

1966 Batmobile

 

C

[DarrenSmith]

comix4fun,

 

I disagree its akin to the Cobra (the car known for having the most kit cars), but I agree with you that most old school collectors prefer 100% original cars. I prefer them that way too. But there are a lot of baby boomers with a lot of money and they buy street rods, hot rods, and resto-rods. This with the Bat-Man tie in makes it interesting to see what it brings.

 

I see you listed the recreation that will be coming up at the RM auction, but you forgot to mention they also auctioned off one in Feb 2007 for $211,000

 

 

 

 

[comix4fun]

I see you listed the recreation that will be coming up at the RM auction, but you forgot to mention they also auctioned off one in Feb 2007 for $211,000

 

 

 

 

 

I did not exactly forget about it...I wasn't looking for results, just that they had another one for sale.

 

That makes three re-bats in one year.....

 

I am not saying it's worthless, it's just not worth anywhere in the same universe as the real thing. That was why I compared it to the Shelby Cobra.

 

I have a few friends in auto customization. They even do their own metal machining. In today's dollars with parts and labor machining all these parts from scratch and creating a turbine and flame thrower etc and doing it from the ground up could take a shop as long as a year to complete. I can see it costing 6 figures just to make one of these. The labor alone has to be sick....creating the seats, machining the fins, making the lights and switches by hand. It's impressive but it doesn't carry the cache of one used on the show and certainly not one built by Barris

 

 

EDIT......The Coys Car was identified as a Real Bats Car but it was just a promo car....built after the show was over and never used on the show...

In fact...Coys in England auctioned off a REAL batmobile. One of the 6 that Barris built. They have an estimate of only $150,000 US on it. It is sure to hit that mark and should go higher..MUCH HIGHER. It was built by the hands of the guy that built the monkey-mobile, the Munter-mobile, Kitt, and several more besides the Batmobile. This was an exaggeration on their part I have found...that Barris only built 5 and this one was built later by someone else but used for promotional tours.

 

Barris still has the real original first Batmobile, he held on to it even when he auctioned off many other cars he had built, including the batcycle. Barris has stated that he has been offered over $1 million for it several times.

 

If you don't have a Barris version and it's not one that was used on the show and you are going to drop $200k for it....why not just have one custom built from the bottom up and drop a 700 hp hemi into it and have cash left over? There is really no difference between them if it wasn't a show used car.

 

Chris

[DarrenSmith]

 

I am not saying it's worthless, it's just not worth anywhere in the same universe as the real thing. That was why I compared it to the Shelby Cobra.

 

 

So what's your guess? That was the question. When you compare it to a kit car Cobra I am assuming you are thinking it will bring $20,000-$30,000 - or do you think it will be more or less?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DarrenSmith]

Here are photos of the Batmobile in the Pavilion:

 

 

[comix4fun]

 

I am not saying it's worthless, it's just not worth anywhere in the same universe as the real thing. That was why I compared it to the Shelby Cobra.

 

 

So what's your guess? That was the question. When you compare it to a kit car Cobra I am assuming you are thinking it will bring $20,000-$30,000 - or do you think it will be more or less?

 

 

 

I can see $100k.......maybe $150k.....I guess I should consider this batmobile would be more a "continuation/kit car" than a kit because of the all the parts that had to have been machined by hand and created as one offs but it followed the original design as closely as possible although they used a different vehicle and engine as it's base.

 

Since it's not available out of a "box" and alot of professional work had to go into it I think six figures in today's market can be expected. Which puts it about 10-15% of what Barris says he was offered for his original Bat #1.

 

This is why I compared it with Cobra replicas...they get a smaller percentage (or should) of what the original would produce. WIth cobras everyone and their mom can get parts to make a replica driving the price down for new models. With the batmobile there is still alot of skill and time to create it.

 

C