'Mk1' Batmobile Goes Up For Auction

Modified Lincoln is a must for all start-up crimefighting superhero outfits

A 'Mk1' Batmobile has come up for sale. The car is technically a replica and was never actually used in the 1960s TV show, but it has officially represented the Caped Crusader at various events for over 20 years, and has even been driven on numerous occasions by Batman himself (well, original Batman Adam West).

The five original Batmobiles made for the TV series were lightly modified Lincoln Futuras, but this one is based on a 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Car. Though it retains the Lincoln's 7.5-litre V8 (don't get too excited - it only manages 219bhp), the rest of the car apparently required pretty extensive modifications to get the 'Batmobile' look.

The decals are all correct and the various flashing lights all work, but the most unusual and exciting thing about this replica is undoubtedly the jet booster at the back. At the time the original Batman series aired many American car companies were still considering whether jet cars could be the way of the future, so it made sense for the Batmobile to have a turbine. Okay, so the one on here isn't actually a jet engine - what's actually there is a propane burner, presumably this was more for giving the right effect for displays rather than propulsion - but you can't help but be impressed at the level of detail.

PH spoke to owner Mark, who explained that after it torched some bushes at a show one year (!), he took the decision to unwire and decommission the burner. He reckons it would cost around £2k to get the burner going again.

Mark bought the car in 1988, as an unfinished and slightly tatty project. He rebuilt and finished the car and soon found it became a ticket to a pretty glamorous lifestyle, with events and shows taking him and his wife around the world in their 'Batmobile' - they even got married in it. Most thrillingly, Mark told PH about the time he drove the car through Knightsbridge under Police escort, with Adam 'Mayor' West himself sitting in the car with him.

The Batmobile is road legal, with valid tax and MOT and has apparently been given a thorough sprucing up for sale. It didn't meet its reserve on its last eBay run, but is still for sale and will be up for auction again soon. And with an expected sale price of £40 - £80k, its a bit of a steal compared with the $1 million USD a Swede spent on his recently completed Batmobile project.