Batman fans will be happy to hear that the first officially licensed Batmobile, built in 1963, will be up for auction at Heritage Auctions in December.The vehicle made its comic book debut in February 1941 as a red convertible, but it has been difficult figuring out which was the first official Batmobile, as there was the 1939 Cadillac convertible in the 1943 serial, which was deemed ordinary, and then there was Lincoln Futura concept driven by Adam West in the 1966 Batman TV series, according to Gizmag. However, it was the 1963 vehicle that was given official approval by DC Comics as it looked like something Batman would actually drive.
Fans will have to wait until 11 a.m. CST on Dec. 6 for the chance to get their hands on the 1963 Batmobile, but internet bids will be accepted the night before. The car will go on the block at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, and bidding will start at $90,000.
Starting out as a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 frame with a 324 Rocket engine, the 1963 Batmobile received some changes in 1960 from Batman fan Forrest Robinson and his friend Len Perham, who turned it into an open-top two-seater with a new body, pocket side doors, a "bat noise," and a single rear fin that gives the vehicle its comic book feel.
Heritage said 23-year-old Robinson used the car to get around town until the beginning of the 1966 series, after which All Star Dairies leased the car to promote Green Acres Ice Cream, an affiliate in New Hampshire that was selling Batman-themed ice cream under a DC comics license, Gizmag reported. The silver car was given a paint-job and Batman badges to look more like a vehicle driven by the superhero.
The car would be returned to Robinson in late 1966 before he sold it for $200, after which it would stay unused for 50 years. It was rediscovered in 2008 and sold to a car dealer and swapped between owners several times until Toy Car Exchange bought it to restore the vehicle to its prime form.
The car won first place in the hand-built sports car class in the Sacramento Autorama, which was held earlier this year.
