Makes › Lincoln › Futura Batmobile (Batman TV series 1966, George Barris conversion of the Ghia Futura concept) · Historically significant · Film & TV · 1966
Lincoln
Futura Batmobile (Batman TV series 1966, George Barris conversion of the Ghia Futura concept)
The original television Batmobile: the one-off Ghia-built Lincoln Futura concept car, converted by George Barris for the 1966 Batman series.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1966
- Engine
- front-mounted V8 · 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Carrozzeria Ghia for Ford (Futura concept); conversion by George Barris
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (confirmed)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
This is the car that defined the Batmobile for television audiences: a unique Ford styling concept turned into a studio gadget car. It is the original from which all later Barris copies were made, and its 2013 auction result set a record for Batman memorabilia.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionthe original car, sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2013 and held privately | 12 | Surviving examples | Confirmed |
| Total model productionthe single Lincoln Futura concept car converted into the original TV Batmobile (Barris later built copies, which are not counted) | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The Lincoln Futura was built in steel by Carrozzeria Ghia for Ford as a show car (sources give 1954 or 1955). When it was no longer needed, George Barris obtained it, reportedly for one dollar.
For the 1966 Batman series Barris had only weeks and a limited budget to turn the Futura into the Batmobile. He reshaped the fins into bat wings, changed the grille and headlights and added gadgets such as a Batphone and Bat Radar, most of them non-functional. Barris later built three copies for exhibition use.
The original car stayed with Barris until it was sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale on 19 January 2013 for US$4.62 million including premium; it is now in a private collection.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Futura Batmobile (Batman TV series 1966, George Barris conversion of the Ghia Futura concept).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | front-mounted V82 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 6,390 cc / 6.4 LFactory: 390 cu in · converted2 Independently researchedEngine fitted to the Batmobile; the Futura originally had a Lincoln V8 (330 hp per S1). |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | B&M Hydro automatic2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Sports Car Market – 1966 Batmobile, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2013, lot 5037 Level C
- 1 the single Lincoln Futura concept car converted into the original TV Batmobile (Barris later built copies, which are not counted)
-
2
1966 Batmobile – Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2013, lot 5037 (SCM analysis) Level C Sports Car Market
- Lot 5037 ... sold for $4,620,000
- 390-ci Ford Galaxy V8
- with a B&M Hydro transmission
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