In 1989, Tim Burton wowed global audiences with the release of Batman starring Michael Keaton as the billionaire vigilante and Jack Nicholson as The Joker. Now, more than three decades later, the iconic 1989 Batmobile has come up for sale with a US$1,500,000 (AU$2,245,065) price tag to match its importance in cinematic history.
Arriving hot on the heels of Tim Burton’s widely popular Beetlejuice in 1988 – which also saw Michael Keaton in the lead role – Batman became an instant classic and cultural touchstone for an entire generation. Raking in impressive box office figures of US$411.6 million against a relatively modest budget of US$48 million, the film received critical acclaim thanks both to an electric performance by Jack Nicholson as the Joker and the attention to detail of Burton’s set design.
RELATED: Pierce Brosnan Recalls The “Stupid” Comment That Tanked His ‘Batman’ Audition
This attention to detail can be seen nowhere more clearly than in the Batmobile, which was designed by conceptual illustrator Julian Caldow and brought to life thanks to the John Evans special effects team of Pinewood studios. Following its use as Batman’s crime-fighting vehicle of choice, the Batmobile began a new life at a theme park where it was a prop at the Batman Returns ride before it was eventually sold to its current owner.
Despite the enormous jet engine that the car is constructed around, it actually only features a working electric engine that was common in prop cars at the time. However, the Batmobile’s visual impact is what most DC Comics fans are looking for and the car retains its custom moulded fibreglass exterior in impressively well-preserved condition.
The nose section of the Batmobile was taken from a Daytona Prototype racer, while the interior offers space for three people and a cockpit filled with more buttons and switches than a Boeing 747. The battery-powered 48V powertrain doesn’t offer much in terms of top speed, with the current owner reporting 25-30mph as the quickest they ever got it up to, however, the front of the vehicle does feature a working flame thrower which makes up for the lack of speed.
Offered by the Pennsylvania-based Classic Auto Mall dealership, the original Batmobile from 1989 is currently available for private sale.
