Over the years, we have seen multiple reboots of the Caped Crusader, but he couldn't have kept Gotham safe without his trusted mean machine: the Batmobile. As Batman took on one enemy after another, his tactical assault vehicle also grew bigger and better. A Batman conquest is incomplete without the Batmobile. Here's a brief history of the supercar all of us have fantasised about.
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The humble beginning of the Batmobile
Batman was seen with a car in tow first in Detective Comics No 27 in 1939. But it was not until No 48 published in 1941 that the term Batmobile was coined. Back in the day, the car was less swanky with simply a small gold bat adorning its hood. Over the years, it transitioned from a high-powered red automobile to Batman's most technologically advanced crime-fighting asset in Batman's arsenal.
The first drivable Batmobile was the 1955 concept car Lincoln Futura, designed by the legendary George Barris in 15 days. The dome-like windshield, extended tailfins, and dramatic hooded headlights complemented its edgy aesthetic along with the red accents, highlighting its dynamic structure. This Batmobile possessed a unique blend of style and substance; it was packed with several useful features and a crime-fighting arsenal filled up its giant trunk.
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Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns took the revamp of the Batmobile up a notch with its sleek and imposing finish. Built upon the framework of two Chevy Impalas, this stealthy wonder car was equipped with hook launchers, bomb dispensers, disc projectile launchers, and twin M1919 Browning machine guns.
Built out of fiberglass around a Chevy 350 ZZ3 high-performance motor, this Giger-esque beast might be the flashiest Batmobile yet. Its design is vaguely evocative of the 1989 version, but more radical with a rib-cage-like casing, retro tail fins, and wings, mimicking those of a vampire bat.
It's not a car, it's a tank!
While the infamous Batman and Robin is not the most memorable iteration of the Caped Crusader, its Batmobile is decidedly worth a mention. This Harald Belker-designed vehicle possessed a shape similar to the previous adaptations of Batmobile, but with a more comic book-esque approach. While the open cockpit posed an unwarranted risk, the unique “T” axis wheelbase was a saving grace because it tolerated high-speed turns. The gadget count on this Batmobile remains high with its sleek, curving exterior concealing rocket launchers, grapple hooks, and many bomb dispensers.
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Inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns comic, this Christopher Nolan reboot featured an all-terrain, military-inspired edition “Tumbler”, packed with an impressive weapon arsenal and gadgetry. Designer Nathan Crowley opted for a chunky combat vehicle, relying heavily on Humvee and Lamborghini designing models, as he intended for it to be a muscular workhorse rather than an elegant cruiser.
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With the collaborative efforts of director Zack Snyder with Patrick Tatopoulos, Kevin Ishioka, Ed Natividad, and Joe Hiura, this lean tactical Batmobile is a culmination of the best features of its predecessors.
Come March 2022, we will get a new Batman in Robert Pattisson and with him an all-new Batmobile. (Hopefully no more pandemic-fuelled delays). From what we hear, it has fiery exhausts and bright headlights. Looks like it's going to be worth the wait.
