Are you a wealthy Batman fan who has a thing for collecting movie memorabilia? If so, then boy do we have the car for you: the 1989 Batmobile from the Tim Burton films Batman and Batman Returns. But we do mean wealthy. The Batmobile is currently listed on consignment by Classic Auto Mall for $US1.5 ($AU2.26) million.
If you do purchase this Batmobile, don’t expect to drive it very much or possibly at all. The electric powertrain is powerful enough to go 25 or maybe 48 km/h, so, no highway cruising for you. But the seller also says the batteries haven’t been charged since 1993, so there’s a decent chance they’ll have to be replaced. Due to that issue, Classic Auto Mall claims they didn’t have the opportunity to drive the car since they “didn’t want to risk a failure or fire.”
Maybe the best option is to pay someone to swap in the powertrain from a Nissan Leaf. Sure, a Tesla swap would give you more power, but it’s a movie prop, so crash safety is likely nonexistent. It also doesn’t come with a title, so the places you could legally drive it are going to be limited.
Like the McLaren F1, the Batmobile is rear-wheel drive and seats three. But unlike the F1, the Batmobile also comes with a flamethrower that is allegedly still functional. That’s a neat little party trick.
And if you’re from New Jersey, this particular Batmobile movie prop might be even more special to you. Once it was no longer needed for future movies, it moved to New Jersey’s Six Flags where it was used for the Batman Returns ride. It was later bought by the current owner, making it an almost one-owner car.
Considering the price and likely inoperability of the Batmobile, it’s hard to imagine too many people will be itching to add it to their collection, but if you’re one of the few who are, this might be your only opportunity to own an actual Batmobile.