Full-scale, fetishistically detailed driveable replica 1966 Batmobiles

Mark Racop works out of a shop in small-town Indiana, turning out incredibly accurate, driveable 1966 Batmobile replicas. The bodies are modified castings from an old Futura and all the fittings and parts are functional and styled to match the prop Batmobile from the series (you can also buy these individual fittings -- "Bat Parts" -- for your modern car). The sell for $150,000, and you can choose between a rebuilt Ford 460 motor, or a new GM 350 crate engine.

Fiberglass Freaks Officially Licensed 1966 BATMOBILE Replicas (Thanks, Larry!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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dbeckett

I want this.
sing it, baby

Didn’t Batman trade the Batmobile for a Prius in “Batman Forever”?
Larry Dixon

The guy who’s doing this is the husband of one of Mercedes Lackey’s pals on one of her doll boards. Mark Racop’s the man, and the shop’s in a small town in Indiana, near Purdue. (sadly not 14 miles from Gotham City, like Stately Wayne Manor) His wife is Jill, and they have a collection of several thousand Batman, fantasy & scifi toys between them.
I have to tell you, I have worked on everything from a ’27 Bugatti replica to my ’57 Chevy & ’73 Pantera and numerous show cars, and this guy REALLY sweats the details. I can see dozens of places he could have cut corners on this thing—and he hasn’t. The craftsmanship shows that he truly loves the Batmobile and isn’t just banging out a quick cash-in.
I could see someone making their money back on a Racop Batmobile within ten years just in car show trophies, rentals and museum spots—not to mention the best part—HAVING A BATMOBILE.
Anonymous

This is beyond awesome!

I see in one of the pictures that they have the parachutes for the Bat Turn mounted on the rear, but there’s no mention of them in the details list. I don’t expect them to work, but are they only on that picture for show? :(
Vanwall

Nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh..nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh……..
- flatfive
  
  …Leader!
Vanwall

As for the flame-thrower, I know a hearse driving gal that has one, dualies as a mattrafact, that shoot right out of the exhaust. Road legal is a loose term as far as she’s concerned.
Phikus

It’s weird to see “civilians” driving that car. Anybody but Adam West and Burt Ward in costume just seems wrong behind the wheel (ok, Julie Newmar” would be preferred, actually, in or out of costume… nudge nudge wink wink.)
- Jake0748
  
  Yeah… what Phikus said. You should at least have to wear a Batman costume while driving this car. And that makes me think… did Robin EVER get to drive?
  - TimDrew
    
    “And that makes me think… did Robin EVER get to drive?”
    
    From the rumours, I think that Batman did all the – er- driving in that couple…
  - robulus
    
    Apparently not, because Batman was such a controlling dick:
    
    Batman: “Robin, you haven’t fastened your safety bat-belt.”
    Robin: “We’re only going a couple of blocks.”
    Batman: “It won’t be long until you are old enough to get a driver’s license, Robin, and you’ll be able to drive the Batmobile and other vehicles. Remember, motorist safety.”
    Robin: “Gosh, Batman, when you put it that way..”
    
    When you put it that way why don’t you drink a tall glass of STFU.
    
    Also I’m pretty sure Julie Newmar as Catwoman actually triggered the onset my pubescence by the sheer hotness of that outfit. And I do mean sheer.
- Felton / Moderator
  
  ok, Julie Newmar would be preferred
  
  Or Eartha Kitt!
  
  Not to put down Julie Newmar, of course, but I always found Eartha irresistible. :-D
glaborous immolate

Fetishisticly.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Or at least, its weird you want to use it in the ways you do.
- dculberson
  
  He spelled it right, for starters: fetishistically.
  
  But also, he seems to be using it just fine to me. Specifically, definition two:
  
  2. Excessive attachment or regard.
  
  In what way does it seem weird to you?
  - willy
    
    fetishtically != fetishistically
liquidself

heh, apparently you have to wear a white T-shirt, w/o any logo, and big black sunglasses to drive one of these babies.
thedave

@SamLL building by hand is still manufacturing.

Manufactured just means man-made.

I think you meant to say, that they are not mass-produced or use automated-assembly.

But they are certainly manufactured.
- SamLL
  
  Good point thedave! I should have said “mass-produced” instead of “manufactured”. I will remember this distinction in vocabulary next time.
dwdyer

The 1966 Batmobile originated in a Lincoln concept car, the Futura.

http://www.1966batmobile.com/background.htm
Jupiter12

When I was a wee lad in the 1970s I was super excited to find out that the Batmobile would be featured at the Cleveland Auto-Rama. I begged relentlessly and my older brother took me. What I saw was a cheap knock-off that had a black velvet finish rather than glossy black paint. Seriously, the car was covered in velvet! On a positive note, I got to see Lou “The Incredible Hulk” Ferrigno and Chachi from “Happy Days”. Girls were screaming and crying for Chachi as if he was Elvis.
netsharc

Can I have a replica of The Tumbler instead? *manly noises* now that’s a ride!
- a random John
  
  The Tumblers each cost about $250,000 to build. If you had the cash and wanted your own it is within the realm of possibility.
  
  Just last week I was driving down I-15 in Utah and saw a Tim Burton era batmobile on the back of a flatbed truck going the other way. I yelled and tried to point it out the the kids but they missed it and didn’t seem to care anyhow.
Donald Petersen

Wow. It took a whole lotta scrolling on their page to find out what they’re making these out of: 1970s Lincoln Clown Cars… er, Town Cars. So yeah, you’d wanna ditch the 460 for the crate 350.

If I had all the money in the world, I’d want one, but only so I could close off my own personal freeway and drive it at night. I think I’d die of embarrassment if anyone ever saw me behind the wheel of a Batmobile.

And as for the parachutes, Anon #13, they’d better work. Barris drove his down the 101 freeway with chutes deployed for a TV Guide article before the series premiered.
ackpht

I’d buy one of those and dress up as a fat Batman for Fourth-of-July parades. You couldn’t stop me.

Atomic batteries to power! Turbines to speed!
Larry7

$150k?

and people are balking at the cost of the new EV’s… please.
JonStewartMill

Do flames come out the back when you nail the accelerator? If not, forget it.
- BookGuy
  
  According to the site:
  
  “Working “rocket exhaust” flame thrower, custom-made from heavy gauge steel, with a hidden ignition device”
  
  I’d be surprised if a car with flame thrower was actually road legal, but I know road legality is pretty hit-or-miss depending on where you get it inspected.
  - thecheat
    
    You just don’t tell the inspection agency that your car has a flamethrower in it.
    
    “what’s this switch for?”
    
    “oh nothing, just turns on the vanity mirror lights… “
SamLL

They aren’t manufactured, each one is being built by hand. The site claims there is a team of 15 making 8 per year – that means if they have absolutely 0 other expenses (ha ha ha) that $150,000 price tag means the maximum salary they could be paying is $80,000 a year. Hardly highway robbery.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  They aren’t manufactured, each one is being built by hand.
  
  ‘Manufacture’ literally means ‘make by hand’, which is one of its definitions.
robulus

Superb.
Jack

I love the fact someone is complaining about cost, and someone else is pointing out how fair the price of this is factoring in the custom angle.

News 4 You: The reason many things are cheap are because of mass production. The reason custom things are expensive is because of custom production. It’s kind of the same way prepared food costs less than gourmet. And the pricing in all cases are fair.

For my money this is also a great example of how one can build a custom business with modern tools. Yeah, customizing has existed for years. But now thanks to the Internet someone doing something as cool as this has a larger market.

All good!
thecheat

Holy expensive nostalgia, Batman!
bwcbwc

I wonder if Leno has one of these…seems like he would, but then it seems like he wouldn’t.
Anonymous

In 1966 my father took me to a car show. There, I saw the batmobile. I was eight years old. I remember being wowed. That day, I purchased a small toy replica. If you turned the wheels back, a spring mechanism would shoot little yellow spears out of a rocket launcher. I had it for years and years, then lost it. I wish I had it now. Is anyone here old enough to remember that particular toy?

Fast forward a few years, and I saw the first Tim Burton Batman after much anticipation, and I was oddly disappointed by it. But the new batmobile was great.

If I had my choice of owning batmobiles, I think I’d go for the Tim Burton era one, even though the movie let me down. Or maybe the 1950s version, from the movie serial… that actually might be cooler.
jfrancis

I was at the caves on Elephanta Island off Mumbai last Sunday thinking about that car. :D

Actually I was imagining an orange and cyan version painted up like an Indian ‘goods carrier’ truck screaming out of the cave and down the hill.

‘Mumbai: 14 miles’
- Lester
  
  You should lease space in that head of yours.
  
  (Meant in the nice way.)