The Batmobile is probably the most famous fictional car ever conceived of. Since its debut in Detective Comics #27, the Batmobile has gone through several reimaginings and graced the screen in every cartoon, television, and film version of Batman ever made. Since Batman films started getting made as early as the 1940s, many cars have had the privilege of being used as the Batmobile.
The history of the film versions of the Batmobile is a fascinating one because for almost a century the car has evolved from being a typical black sedan to being a custom car that some directors call “a combination of a Lamborghini and a tank.” This is the history of the Batmobile in film.
9 1943 'Batman' Mini-Series - 1939 Cadillac Series 75
The first time Batman was turned into a live-action film was as a mini-series in 1943. In Batman, the Caped Crusader’s car is much more toned down than what modern audiences are used to. In the film, the Batmobile is merely a 1939 Cadillac Series 75 convertible.
While the car is a classic, it did not feature anything that the Batmobile is now famous for, I.E. no gadgets, no bat hood ornaments, nothing. One thing to be said in favor of this version is that a 1939 Cadillac is now worth almost $150,000.
8 1949 'Batman and Robin' Mini-Series - A 1949 Mercury Convertible
Batman returned to cinema in another 1940s mini-series called Batman and Robin (no, it has nothing to do with the awful 1996 movie). Like the first Batmobile, the director used a standard black sedan free of customizations or gadgets, but this time filmmakers opted for a more affordable Mercury convertible rather than the 1939 Caddie.
7 1960s 'Batman' - A Converted 1955 Lincoln Futura
In the television and film series starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, and the first time Batman would ever be filmed in color, producers decided to go with a Batmobile that was more like the one that he drove in the comic books. So, designers worked hard to customize a 1955 Lincoln Futura into the 2 seat roadster that is now synonymous with the show.
The red and black prop car sold in auction for $4.6 million and hundreds of replicas have been produced over the years. This version of the Batmobile could very easily be the most famous.
6 'Batman' / 'Batman Returns' - 1989 Custom Chevy Impala Chassis With A V8
In Tim Burton’s academy award-winning version of Batman, the Batmobile pays homage to the original comic book version but is modernized to look more intimidating and its gadgets updated. For his film, Burton had the chassis of two Chevy Impalas welded together and the car would ultimately come out looking more like a formula racer.
While this may be a fictional car, its longer and lower body makes this the most aerodynamic Batmobile so far on this list.
5 'Batman Forever' - A 1995 Custom Chassis with Chevy 350 ZZ3 Engine
The same car was used in the sequel Batman Returns but when the film series changed directors from Tim Burton to Joel Schumacher the Batmobile was given a facelift. While the design was similar to the previous rendition film producers opted for a custom chassis, one totally original for the film, more lights, and they opted for some better engines.
The Batman Forever Batmobile was fitted with a 350 cubic inch ZZ3 Chevy engine capable of hitting 300 horsepower. Ever since this film, all Batmobiles in movies have been built on a custom chassis. The car sits in the headquarters of the Motion Picture Association in Washington, D.C.
4 'Batman And Robin' - A Custom Chassis On A T Axis Wheelbase With A Chevy 350 Engine
While Batman and Robin is widely considered to be the worst Batman film ever made, that criticism should be reserved for anything but the movie’s Batmobile. Another custom car made special for the film, the chassis was on top of a T axis wheelbase and like the previous Batmobile, it had a 350 cubic inch engine with 300 hp.
3 'The Dark Knight Trilogy' - The Tumbler, A Custom Chassis That Cost $1 Million To Design With A 500HP Chevy 350 V8 Engine
One of the most expensive versions of the Batmobile, coming in with a price tag of over 1 million dollars for the design alone, was director Christopher Nolan's version of the car. Each designer was paid $250,000 for the plans, and the parts for the car were also astronomically expensive. But the result was a new version of the Batmobile, one that was unlike any of the previous renditions.
Famously referred to as "the Tumbler" by fans, this version was designed to look more like a military utility weapon rather than a racer. Like the previous Batmobile, it had a real Chevy 350 cubic inch engine. This time it was also a V8 but it could achieve 500 horsepower and was allegedly turbo-charged. The Tumbler was found sitting outside of a warehouse in Dubai.
2 'Batman V Superman' / 'Justice League' - Custom Prop Car, No Engine
For the Zach Snyder Batman films the director went for something that combines older versions of the Batmobile with the Tumbler. Unlike previous versions, however, it was not built to be a working vehicle.
It was not fitted with a real engine and instead, its motion was the stuff of practical and digital special effects.
1 'The Batman' 2022 - ‘Mysterious’ Muscle Car
While details are still scant because the studio is keeping details about this film as secret as possible until its official release, we do know from early images that the version of the Batmobile is returning to the more classic versions. Early image releases show a car that looks more like a modern muscle car than ever before.
Details about the car are also too minimal to make any assumptions about horsepower or chassis, although based on the pictures it would seem producers used something similar to a GTO for the bodyshell. It also appears to be true that producers are returning to customizing real cars rather than opting for a totally custom chassis. The Batman is set for release in March 2022.