Summary

Built at Barris Kustom City in November 1966. Used on ABC TV's "Batman" series and "Batman: The Movie." Acquired by collector in 2011, restored and authenticated by George Barris. Sold on bonded title. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection.

Details

This is the #3 Batmobile from the "Batman" television series. Introduced to the world in Volume 27 (dated May 1939) of Detective Comics, later retitled Batman Detective Comics, the crime-fighting superhero Batman was created by Bob Kane and achieved enduring cultural-icon status. After Ed Graham Productions took up options for the television rights to the Batman character during the early 1960s, momentum grew when Chicago's Playboy Club rescreened the popular 1940s Batman serials in the early 1960s, which caught the attention of ABC network executive Yale Udoff, who had been a Batman fan since childhood and pitched a modern "tongue in cheek," campy interpretation of the concept for CBS. That network passed on a production deal, leading to a repurchase of the franchise by DC Comics, who granted production rights to ABC-TV with filming by 20th Century Fox. Starring Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward portraying Robin, the Boy Wonder, "Batman" first aired on January 12, 1966, and went on to captivate millions of devoted viewers worldwide. Later that year, "Batman: the Movie" expanded the franchise. Of course, a true crime-fighting superhero requires equally impressive transportation, and the studio first commissioned noted California customizer Dean Jeffries, who began with a modified 1959 Cadillac, but advised the timeframe was too brief. Fellow customizer George Barris stepped up with his radical reinterpretation of Lincoln's Ghia-built 1955 Futura concept car, which he bought from Ford Motor Company in the early '60s after it was used in the 1959 movie, "It Started With a Kiss," starring Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds. After less than three weeks, including considerable work performed by Gene Cushenberry, Barris' Batmobile #1 was completed and delivered to the 20th Century Fox studios on October 11, 1965. Still in primer paint and not fully finished, the Batmobile's futuristic crime-fighting features are believed to have been created and installed at Fox Studios. The soon-to-be-iconic Batmobile made its TV debut on January 12, 1966. Masses of fan mail to Barris and Fox brought massive demand for show appearances, spurring the creation of three additional Batmobiles at Barris Kustom City in November 1966. In addition to Barris' uncanny vision and expertise, the Batmobiles were constructed using fiberglass body molds taken from the highly customized original Batmobile and 1966 Ford Galaxie chassis, with all three cars built with forward-tilting frontal bodywork. In addition to use for drive-by and stand-in filming on the TV show and movie, this Batmobile, Car #3, made a multitude of public appearances at car shows, car dealers and many other venues, via a traveling display advertised as "Direct from Gotham City." Among the Batmobile's appearances in the period were the 1967 Oakland, CA, Roadster Show and the 1968 Hollywood Christmas parade, where the car was driven by George Barris with his young daughter Joji a lucky passenger. Exhibits featuring Batmobile #3 continued through the following decades, with the star car eventually sold to a new owner at auction in 1998, followed by ownership under the Imperial Palace Collection. Most recently in early 2011, Dr. Stewart Berkowitz purchased Batmobile #3 and commissioned its restoration by Keith Dean, son of Dick Dean. Service was performed for Dr. Berkowitz by Bat Mechanic LLC throughout his ownership. In November 2011, Batmobile creator George Barris and his close associate, Anthony Wood, visited Batmobile #3 at Dr. Berkowitz's New Jersey home. Mr. Barris immediately recognized the car as Batmobile #3. A Certificate of Authenticity was duly issued on November 11, 2011, by George Barris on behalf of Barris Kustom Industries, which a copy of accompanies the sale of this historic and world-recognized custom vehicle, along with correspondence from Mr. Barris and Mr. Wood. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection. **SOLD ON BONDED TITLE**