The first of six Batmobiles produced for the 1960s ABC Batman TV series has sold at auction for $4.6 million. The crowd at the Barrett-Jackson house in Scottsdale, Ariz. whooped and cheered, and the auctioneer hummed the theme to the classic show as the price rose and the excitement grew.
Russ B

The car, designed by legendary Hollywood car customizer George Barris, sold for the upper end of its early estimates. Barris constructed the Batmobile in just 15 days in 1966. It was built for $15,000 over a 1955 Ford Futura concept model (purchased for $1). It’s been in Barris’ personal collection ever since, and contains Batman gadgets such as a Batphone and an oil squirter fashioned from lawn sprinklers. As an added bonus, it’s road legal, should its new owner care to take it for a spin.The winning bidder was Rick Champagne, a businessman and car collector from the Phoenix area who has been attending Barrett-Jackson auctions for 15 years.