Rebuilding Rob

Happy Boxing Day to those of you in the British Empire, and those in former British imperial holdings. Boxing Day is one thing that America really should’ve copied off of England.

My all-time favorite car is The Batmobile, the car used by Batman in comic books, television and movies!

I case I’ve never mentioned it, Batman is not only my all-time favorite comic book character; I believe that Batman is the greatest fictional character to come out of American popular culture in the 20th century.

One aspect of the Batman myth is that is as integral as the Joker or Robin is the Batmobile. As much as Batman himself has adapted with the times, so has his primary mode of transportation. Sometimes a race car; sometimes a tank, but the Batmobile has always been better than the average car. It too has adapted, very much as a reflection of Batman the character himself. In fact, there’s probably been more alterations and overhauls made to the car than there have been to the man himself.

The Batmobile even has its own fan base. Many car aficionados, who aren’t necessary Batman fans, have e a thing for the Batmobile. Maybe it’s because all of the live-action iterations of the Batmobile have been real working vehicles.

This video below shows the Batmobile as it has appeared in movie serials, TV and movies.

Here is what I believe to be the most comprehensive timeline of Batmobiles, across all media, that I have ever seen. It is a big, big picture, one that I didn’t feel like inserting into this page. So check it out.

Obviously, there are a lot of that options to choose from; but these are my top 3 Batmobiles:

The 1966 live-action Batmobile – designed by George Barris, this version of the Batmobile was actually souped up version of the Ford Futura. It was a concept car never made it to mass production. The Batmobile is more of a spy car than a war machine; and the 1966 live action TV show was my introduction to both the Batmobile and Batman himself.

The Tumbler. 2005, Batman, as a movie franchise was in dire need of some new blood. It got it, thanks to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. The tumblers in universe. Origin was that it was a vehicle originally designed for military use. Faster than a tank and much stronger than a race car, the Tumbler had it all!

The Superfriends Batmobile. The Saturday morning cartoon. The super friends was just as much of my introduction to the world of Batman as as reruns of the 1966 live- action series. A similar version of this particular Batmobile made its way into the Batman comics in the mid 1980s. It’s timeless; looking like it would fit in just as well in 2023 as it did in 1985.

As you can see, the Batmobile has a history rivaling that of Batman himself! There are far better historians and far better webpage designers than I who’ve done a much better job of chronicling the history of this iconic vehicle. A little Google search does wonders!

What is your all-time favorite automobile?

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts, and some earlier related posts as well

• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article “To the Batmobile!“ Originally appeared on Rebuilding Rob.