Posted By Dan Greenfield on Mar 1, 2016 | 2 comments

There’s one thing Eartha Kitt had as Catwoman that Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether most definitely did not: the Catmobile.

The greenish-goldish muscle car made its way to the streets of Gotham in the third season of Batman ’66, most notably when Catwoman picks up the Joker outside the state pen.

The Catmobile was as cool as its owner and it makes you wonder why the producers didn’t go for this gag more often. The Joker had his ride that he used on occasion — click here for that entertaining chucklefest — but the Penguin was left to steal Batman’s whip and the Riddler used whatever generic vehicle was available or necessary for his latest themed crime spree.

But the Catmobile’s relative rareness only serves to enhance its appeal as part of Eaglemoss’ Batman Automobilia line. I mean this is one of those Whoda Thunkit? items — and I love the UK company for being so committed to its craft.

The item itself is another top-flight Bat-item. The color scheme is accurate and there’s the expected attention to detail, with flocking on the tail, ears and “face,” and a twin set of wire whiskers that protrude from the front.

The 3D background scenery is relatively simple — Cattail Lane — though perfectly fine. I would have rather gotten the state pen in the background with the Joker getting picked up. But that’s because I’m selfish.

The Catmobile, which — like all the Automobilia vehicles — is stationary and has a clear plastic cover, comes with the requisite infomag: Issue #79 includes the gatefold featuring all the specs, plus the usual, funtime photos, articles and trivia. (UPDATED: The mag points out that on the show, the vehicle was called the Kitty Car.)

It’s out now in the US, UK and elsewhere and goes for a Holy Bargain! price of about $20-$22. You can get it at comics shops, from online retailers or from Eaglemoss itself.