Apologies to Mr. Bond, but George Barris had you beat.
George Barris, the beloved creator of the 1966 Batmobile, has died, just a couple weeks shy of his 90th birthday. But he leaves behind the greatest car in pop culture history.
Here are 13 QUICK (Personal) THOUGHTS …
The Batmobile #3, on display at the New-York Historical Society
1. On my list, it will always be Batmobile first and Bond’s Aston Martin second. Both are fantastic and fantastical but the Batmobile — with with its muscle, power and endless features and gadgets — wins.
2. I never met George Barris but I have only heard good things.
3. As best I can recall, my very first Batman toy was the Corgi Batmobile-Batboat set. I may have had Batman and Robin Soakies first, but either way, the Batmobile goes back to my earliest years.
4. Which might explain why this is on the rear bumper on my car …
5. Or that this is the sunshade my lovely wife bought for me …
6. Or that this is my social-media avatar …
7. Or that one of the greatest days of my life was when the Batmobile picked me up at my house. Really. (You can read all about THAT by clicking here.)
8. Or that my Mego (or Figures Toy Co.) collection would never be complete without the 8-inch scale version…
9. Or that I made my father take me to the New York Auto Show about 40 years ago, just so I could gawk at it in all its flocked glory.
10. Beyond the personal, though, the Batmobile was such a great character on the show. Right off in the first episode, we get such a great taste of its pyrotechnic abilities, when it fights back against the Riddler’s attempt to hijack it.
11. If you want to hear a fun podcast about the Batmobile, click here. John S. Drew and I “gassed” about it on his Batcave Podcast.
12. Thank you, Mr. Barris …
13. For everything, including this:
