As a three-year-old I went into hospital to have my tonsils removed and, as I
remember, it hurt quite a lot. What I remember more clearly, however, was
the model of the Batmobile my parents gave me to take my mind off the pain.
Some 30-odd years on and I have still not forgotten that model, so when the
auctioneers, Coys, asked if The Times wanted an exclusive drive in
the real thing, which comes up for auction in London on Tuesday, I reverted
to being a child, so excited was I.
The original Batmobile was created and built for the ABC Network in 1965 by
the “Kustom King” George Barris. Because of time constraints, Barris based
the car on the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept that he owned. Thanks to the huge
popularity of the television show, the producers commissioned more
Batmobiles to be made and toured the cars around the United States. Coys
believes this Batmobile to be number six of several built — not all
functional, unlike this car — by Jay Ohrberg Star Cars of Hollywood in about
1966 for this very purpose.
On first sight two things strike you. Number one is, “Holy Smoke, it’s the
Batmobile!” And secondly, is the fact that I never realised it was that big.
The car is low and fairly wide, but at nearly six metres it ranks alongside
the present Rolls Royce Phantom in length.
Getting into Batman’s seat takes a little doing, though, as I have trouble
squeezing my legs under the large, futuristic-looking steering wheel. But
once inside you start to see some of the familiar details, such as the Bat
logo on the doors. The Bat phone is in here, too, although sadly no longer
connected to the Gotham City Mayor’s Office (or Ken Livingstone’s).
No superhuman powers are needed to get the car moving, either, just turn the
key, select drive and off you go. What you do need once you are moving,
however, is extra sensory observational powers as the visibility is, at
best, poor. From the driver’s seat, which is on the left, almost everything
to the right is obscured by the buttress that separates the double bubble
windscreen. There are no mirrors, either.
Happily, Coys has provided Alex (or should that be Robin), as a chaperone and
I am extremely grateful for the extra set of eyes, ears and arms (for
signalling — there are no indicators). But I need not have worried about not
being seen as this car stops everything and everyone in its tracks.
Driving around the Richmond one-way system, I find myself the centre of
attention. People rush to look out of shop windows, pedestrians, young and
old alike, either smile or stand mouth agape. I can hear people clapping,
and shouts of “Go Batman”, and camera phones are called into action. Car,
van, taxi and even bus drivers are all waving, hooting and giving me the
thumbs up. You do not need to be a superhero to drive the Batmobile, but you
sure do feel like one. The return to the Coys Batcave comes all too soon,
but I am wearing a grin that the Joker would have been proud of.
Something similar will surely adorn the face of the new owner when they are
found on Tuesday evening, as this car is one of the star attractions of the
Coys Spring Classics auction to be held at the Royal Horticultural Hall in
London. Among the other cars for sale are a Lamborghini Countach previously
owned by Barry Gibb, of the Bee Gees, which is expected to fetch about
£75,000, and a very original 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing, which should
go for well in excess of £200,000. Alternatively, you could bid for Del
Trotter’s Robin Reliant, likely to achieve £15,000plus.
But what price the Batmobile? It has to be one of the most famous and
recognisable cars in the world and Coys has already had interest from
collectors across the globe and expects to see it pass the guide price of
£75,000. But for its ability to turn the residents of the alleged car-hating
borough of Richmond into smiling, happy petrolheads, it is priceless.
For further information, log on to coys.co.uk
