13 QUICK THOUGHTS: Why the ’66 BATMOBILE Was the Greatest Car Ever

Apologies to Mr. Bond, but George Barris had you beat.

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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

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.

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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.

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4. Which might explain why this is on the rear bumper on my car …

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5. Or that this is the sunshade my lovely wife bought for me …

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6. Or that this is my social-media avatar …

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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.)

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8. Or that my Mego (or Figures Toy Co.) collection would never be complete without the 8-inch scale version…

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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:

 

Author: Dan Greenfield

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