This never-produced 1955 Lincoln Futura prototype was transformed into Batmobile for 1966 TV show. Parked next to some ordinary looking cars of today, it just goes to show wild styling like this wouldnt make it past the initial sketch phase in todays crossover filled landscape. As such, it has power sport seats, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, an aftermarket infotainment system with a reverse camera, and a Corvette cluster that has seen its backlighting changed from orange to green to complement the 1961 Corvette Seafoam Green paint. Could, Here's Paul's daughter driving one of the remaining yankee clipper cars - her husband found, Beautiful I own two MK3 Sabels one needing restoration is for sale, hello I would like to know the history of this car and maybe be able, Hello again, Yes I remember the old fiberglass molds on the side of the shop, David saw your post from a couple of years ago, but was wondering if you, How can I order a copy of, Hot Rod Pioneers by Ed Almquist. Great Shot of Chris Woodsides First Futura Replica Talk About Fins! WHAT FUN!!! DC Comics is suing a manufacturer of real life Batmobiles, and want all Batmobiles destroyed! If DC Comics can prove that the expressive elements are separate from the functional characteristics, and they are independent of the Lincoln Futura, it will be much easier to prove infringement using copyright. Seriously they did what they had to do to get the 55 futurea. The Corvette connection runs deeper though, as the hot rod is "built on a stretched C4 Corvette convertible platform." )I got the hair-brained idea that maybe, just MAYBE I might be in a position to buy the Butts Futura Replica from young Brandon if he was open to a sale? A decade later, the Futura became the most famous car on TV as the Batmobile, driven by Adam West's not-so-Dark Knight on the campy Batman series. Hope you enjoyed the story, and remember. In pursuit of the highly coveted "six-figure car," this good-natured garage crew lives by three words: "upgrade and trade." The Netflix actors. Not that the Batmobile it became isn't. 4/18 Sick: Old Crow Special Via Facebook Various vocations in sales, logistics, and project management helped him buy and modify several cars over the years, while his passion for motoring journalism saw him contribute to local print media while running car enthusiast clubs. But its still just #10 on the list. Based on a C4 Corvette chassis and drivetrain, everything else is hand-fabricated because there is no cache of parts for a car that never existed. All I hear is a bunch of whiners and complainers from jealous haters who would have done this or would have done thatno one wants to hear your negative thoughts about the beautiful work they do. The manager leaned into the cars and cranked the key (which per instructions was left in the ignition). The Lincoln Futura made its official debut on the auto show circuit in 1955. Jim Benken, owner of Batrodz Resurrection Garage in Jamesport, N.Y., said: "This is the only Futura hotrod ever built using the design elements of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, the 1966 Barris Batmobile, and the C4 Corvette to create a hybrid-style hotrod." . To restore autos! We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. ONE shot to buy the Futura and I think I just blew it. SEASON 4 OUT NOW! Modern day Alfa and Fiat are largely just jobs programs for the Italian government to subsidize. And save for 2 or 3 class acts who do great fiberglass work, I can assure you 90% of "that element" are losers. !YOU ROCK!!!!!! Bear in mind this was sort of a 1-man operation so there really wasnt much in the way of record keeping at the time. [citation needed], The Lincoln Futura was also included in the Vegas Pack DLC of Mafia II as the "Jefferson Futura". If you were trying to describe Car Masters: Rust to Riches to a car buddy who hadnt seen it, you could simply describe it as American Choppers meets Wheeler Dealers Trading Up meets All Girls Garage. Well we know that sometimes life gets in the way and I guess its been a week since I checked your site but I must say what an amazing story by Chris. We agreed that he would start on one remote panel for his buffing efforts and then would call me out to get my opinion of his handiwork before going any further to assure it was to my discerning satisfaction. PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS INTERNATIONAL ORDERS MAY BE DELAYED AND YOU MAY HAVE A HIGHER SHIPPING COST. And while youre back there, be sure to check out the working winch suspended from the graceful curve of the tow arm, topped by Gotham Garage's signature 4-Aces motif. The roll-top dash was a faux-dash with no working rolltop compartments like my replica, but considering the era it was done, it was pretty impressive. The Futura's styling was original by 1950s standards with a double, clear-plastic canopy top, exaggerated hooded headlight pods, and very large, outward-canted tailfins. Corrected the year. Check out our live Instagram Feed. Awesome show love the work..recreated a awesome car that lives on. Whats not so well known is that George Barris side kick and customizer/body tech was a guy by the name of Bob Butts who had a likewise interesting career with old cars historically, and, for this story, is largely responsible for molding the TV Batmobile to re-create the 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept Car in fiberglass. [citation needed]. That was his dads truck when he was a little kid man! RELATED: 25 People Who Tried To Recreate Impossible TV Show Cars. But rather than simply recreating something from days gone by, Benken put his own unique spin on the styling and says that "the car design is a hybrid mix of the 1955 Futura concept car, 1966 Barris Batmobile, and C4 Corvette.". How is this possible?? No one is perfect so get your own 55 , sure theyll have something to say about your job. For those who may not be aware, the 1955 Lincoln Futura was a Lincoln-based concept built in Italy by world renown Pininfarina in Italy. Click Here To Learn More About Geoff Hacker, View Our Undiscovered Classics Portfolio, Read What People Are Saying About Undiscovered Classics. [10], The concept car was subsequently sold to auto customizer George Barris. top of page. Barris later acquired a fourth replica, a metal car built on a 1958 Ford Thunderbird. This may have been a fictionalization to finish the series and the sale really did not take place, but maybe the fact checkers need to take a look into this and see what the story is. Bash it all you want classic car pros! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Having originally cost $250,000, the Futura was sold to Barris for $1 and "other valuable consideration" by Ford Motor Company. So on with todays story and take it away Chris , The Butts/Woodside 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept Replica(s) Not One But Two! This one here was lovingly recreated by Gotham Garage, and for the short while it lived as a Futura, it was downright sick. This exterior fiberglass red finish was faded, but appeared to otherwise be in really exceptional condition considering its age. Lincoln Futura Replica spotted casually parked in Temecula, California. You have entered an incorrect email address! Published May 12, 2011 . Use your pause button on the ever-so-short shots of the car (lest you get a good look at the terrible workmanship), and look at that mess of a car.Then look at, for example, Hibernia Restorations completed vintage automobiles, and decide which one of the 2 type of shops should have completed the historically important Futura(Mark said it was an extremely rare and accurate fiberglass body, maybe one of one in existence with the correct dimensions; if this is not true-it is a reality show after all-then I guess it really doesnt really matter that they did such a poor job, but it is irritating that they try to pass themselves off as so utterly competent).Also, to the dude (Paulo) who wrote this piece, Im sure youre a good guy, but you need to have someone proofread for you; some of your paragraphs are just unreadable. The worse was the splitting image, the windshield were barely held in place, a lot of stuff left to be desired and I am no mechanic or knowledgeable in cars. Hi guys I was wondering if any of you know anything about the cortez project, Hello Geoff,I am curious about a car that was called the geni car built in, Geoff,have you ever heard of a car known as the Geni ,from what I,ve heard, Hi Geoff Sorry for bothering you but I'm trying to locate Alden Jewell. I refer to it as my FUTURA IN SUSPENSE. 2010-2023 CarBuzz Inc. All Rights Reserved, Corvette-Powered Lincoln Futura Hot Rod Brims With Gotham Style. My car is a not for profit auto enthusiasts car that I'm happy to share with anyone who wants to check it out as long as its a good weather day :) (no roof). But maybe best of all, Mark avoided the problems with The Batmobile by licensing the rights. Not that this Fleetside isnt a sweet ride, its just the least out-there for this team. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Who knows? VIDEOS. Oh, and if it looks a lot like The Batmobile (# 8), thats because its the same car. Gotham Garage were silly to sell it, And that Truck he waited to own for 10 years! Now youre probably thinking thats a pretty good story in itself and this is where it all ends, but there is SO MUCH MORE! He only created one copy. I think overall, they did great. So do you feel better about yourself after attacking somebody elses hard work ? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The other 2 tires were low. PLEASE CHECK WITH THE POST OFFICE IN YOUR AREA TO SEE SHIPPING RULES. For those who may still have interest in that exceedingly rare example, Im more than happy to share what little I know about it up to my ownership and subsequent sale of it. I cant remember if the engine was a hyped up 390 or 460 V8 but it ran great and was very sexy to the eye. And its my some day replica. Winged, bubbled-topped and swoopy from end to end, this car took the Space Age theme car manufacturers were starting to play with to an extreme that was unprecedented. IKR???Crazy!!! In 1955, Ford brought a stunning vision of the future to car show attendees: the Lincoln Futura. He has, https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_273928-Lincoln-Futura-1955.html. So if youre a big Speed Racer fan, theres nothing standing between you and the car of your dreams except the time it takes to build one. The end price for one of Gotham Garage's creations is not only based on the materials used in every project, but includes the effort, long . The car of course started and lurched forward, running over the manager's foot and breaking it.Being a good guy and noting that I had followed the required procedures, he took full responsibility. But thats where the similarities end. 19 Service Vehicles Turned Into Awesome Hot Rods, 20 Ford Concept Cars That Were Way Better Than What We Ended Up With, 25 People Who Tried To Recreate Impossible TV Show Cars, This Insane 1930 Model A Hot Rod Hits Auction, 25 Behind The Scenes Facts About the Gotham Garage Crew. This is the part where youd THINK that Id find myself sorry for having parted with my replica feeling the pain of sellers regret. Is the above video down? And how could I have missed this? It seems, from a non-legal standpoint, that DC Comics should be able to fully protect its creations. Its entirely possible that theres another Batmobile builder out there whos had the sense to stay under Warner Bros radar, perhaps only working with known people in the crazy-replica-movie-car community. They build that steering wheel because there are pics of that steering wheel being made but they did not used it on the prototype for the World Fair. It has a completely different paint scheme than the one shown in the show. The final decision on that: no. It looked very rough. Ive asked Chris to keep us posted when he begins building the Futura that is waiting for him in his barn. Should it be legal to build Batmobiles? We do have the original blueprints of that vehicle and we would like to put it exactly the way it was in 1955.. I remember my visit in TN (it was a good one just in time for the Cars4Kids show there), but it is not the Batmobile you have depicted in a prior article. RELATED: 20 Ford Concept Cars That Were Way Better Than What We Ended Up With. I JUST BOUGHT THE BUTTS FUTURA!! There was quite a bit of film featuring the vehicle, even a chase between the Viper Defender and the Futura. is that Italian for toe nail? Of course this was further popularized when the original concept car was painted red and appeared in the movie It Started With A Kiss starring Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds. Do you have access to Flickr or some other site that will let, Visited with a guy today that had a fiberglass body in a barn. The custom creation before your eyes comes from James Benken, owner of Batrodz Resurrection Garage in Jamesport, New York. In 1966, Barris was asked to design a theme car for the Batman television series. But I can see when stuff is misaligned. So the original Futura is gone and not to be seen again or is it? So much for Dad. [9], The red-painted car is also seen in Ford's 1961 promotional film The Secret Door. 2. At the time of my call, Im not sure he remembered who I was until I mentioned my former replica. Interesting that all 3 have survived all these years. Tons of garages do this I bet Hotwheels could make a fit about the splitten image cars (Somebody somewhere has the patent rights to it), but why? This is where my Futura interest comes into focus. With over 21,000,000 VW Beetles made between 1938 and 2003, you can imagine that a lot of them have been modified over the years. Comparing it to this image of the Gotham Batmobile shows a few discrepancies, most notably in the reflectors and the shape of the spear on the nose. Mark Towle of Gotham Garage has ressurected a cool replica of the '50's concept. There was also a switch on the drivers door that worked the hydraulic center canopy to raise and lower it smoothly-VERY cool touch! Its isolated from the passengers by a 1-inch thick slabof bulletproof glass so you can watch it go about the business of turning fossil fuel into noise at a prodigious rate, secure in the knowledge that youll be safe if it ever decides to turn the fuel into projectiles instead. Because Bob Butts had the talent and Batmobile molds at his disposal, he built the only known Futura Concept replica example of its kind, making it highly prized for his efforts to recreate a car that rivaled the original Lincoln Concept at that time. [6] Sometime in 2000, I embarked on the build of a 1966 TV Batmobile Replica and was immensely interested in its Lincoln Futura history. You just know its going to handle more like a sports car than the truck it once was. Its an amazing feat of reverse-engineering to take a Barris Custom especially one as iconic as the original Batmobile and turn it into a car anyone could buy and drive. I always thought it might be cool to display the Before & After pair side by side, but was never in a position financially to make that happen. MENTAL NOTE: CHECK SUSPENSION. So accoridng to the show ithey sold it to Keith Deans for 170 grand PLUS a 1936 hotrod is that true??? Of course I cautioned him about the history of this car and went so far as to ask for his insurance information in the off-chance something unexpected were to occursomething that came easily to me for my vast claims experience. But after reviewing pictures of the Gotham Garage Batmobiles, I'm not sure it's one of them. Two of the tires were flat. 23-97 m (75-318 ft) (avg. Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. I can recall thinking How is it a teenager ends up with this incredible replica??. The Bob Butts fiberglass body had a working engine and drivetrain that just needed to be cleaned up. While Barris' original Batmobile started life as the Future concept car, this replica from Batrodz LLC is based on a 1979 Lincoln . Im not sure where he got the info on the paint color because all the press releases that I read from the 50s state that the car was pearl white before being painted red for the movie It started with a kiss. Like the Splittinimage, the Mach 5 never existed before Mark Towle decided to build one. Everyone knows the point of a hot rod is to strip it down to bare essentials to make it fast, but this is a great way to add a little more safety and craftsmanship to the experience. Click the photo to find out the truth! The Multiplex 186 A Car With Brass Era Roots And A Singer Special Too! From a drag boat. Hope Chris gets motivated and lives out his dream. Baja Bugs, drag racers, customized kit cars, whatever you can think of has probably been done to a Beetle. To The Batmobile. Show more Show. cars did not require that you depress the clutch to start the car. The colorful crew at Gotham Garage overhauls an eclectic collection of cars and trucks, trading up to a showstopper they can sell for big bucks. and they sold for 170K foolish beyond comprhension. 249 likes. That means it already has all the structural upgrades necessary for open-top motoring and features a "more modern drivetrain, interior, and suspension." In the 1960s, George Barris built one for the 1960s ABC series Batman, basing his designs on a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept model. The Gotham Garage is well-known for being imaginative and creative when it comes to creating new looks for cars, and these ten are their best! 5. In fact, the current custodian of this car, Mark Towle of Gotham Garage, showed up in the comments in response to a comment left by the grandson of Roy Brown, the Futuras chief designer. The Futura was powered by a 368 cubic inch Lincoln engine and powertrain; the chassis was a modified 1953 Lincoln chassis. The first 2 or 3 guys that I could even FIND mid-winter passed on it citing they dont want to be responsible for any potential damage to this rare car. But after reviewing pictures of the Gotham Garage Batmobiles, Im not sure its one of them. He even re-adhered some loose trim where it belonged and when I was summoned out for final inspection, the car was just stunningly MORE beautiful for his attentive handiwork. In his spare time, he's either reading, driving, or looking to collect more BMW Performance parts for the E82 and E9X platforms. If you always wanted to be able to drive one of your toys from your childhood, these are the guys to talk to. But the 302 that replaces it weighs less and puts down enough power to ensure the car can back up the looks. How astonishing is that, that a video posted on Facebook would net the original design blueprints of the 1955 Lincoln Futura. While certainly inspired by the limited-edition Sport Roadster edition that covered the rear seats with a fiberglass tonneau and turned the four-seat drop-top into a stunning two-seater, this one-off stands alone. Paint only magnifies the work under it. By chopping the top (off), fabricating jet/race-inspired fairings and giving the car a chrome wrap, the team turned it from a sleepy boulevard cruiser into a one-of-a-kind lesson in the power of creativity. As it happens Jeff is quite the Batmobile fan like the rest of us and had some world-class Batmobiles yes plural-in his collection. More. Enjoyed the story and the cars. And of course it would be a blast to drive it too. This is how Futura appeared in Los Angeles. Its no better than building a Ferrari replica on a fiero. The film's look inside Ford's Styling Center includes footage of the Futura on the test track and in the wind tunnel. There are customizers. GALLERY. Ways Constance Nunes Keeps Busy (When. As if that in itself wasnt anything short of amazing, he too shared my former replica with others which was always my vision for my former replica at the time, that has lived on under his comic genius and sharing it with other neat old car enthusiasts. Sebastian jumped straight into the workplace after high school. I was one of the crew that worked for Bob when it came in. gotham garage futura lawsuit [1] February 25, 2021 No Comments. Sadly it wasnt in the cards for me to get the Futura out as was hoped for photos and so Brandon and I parted company with my statement to him that if he EVER decided to sell that old kit car Id like to be considered for it. While it isnt breaking new ground in automotive-themed television, nobody really cares because the team at Gotham Garage is fun to watch and the vehicles prove that horsepower isnt the true currency of custom cars. I can agree with her statement as I have seen many cars built for the purpose of showing and you just dont put one together in 3 weeks with top notch quality. Brought a stunning vision of the 1955 Lincoln Futura 55, sure theyll have to! You just know its going to handle More like a sports car than the truck once. Id find myself sorry for having parted With my replica feeling the pain of sellers regret they What... The Mach 5 never existed before Mark Towle of Gotham Garage Futura lawsuit [ ]! 1966, Barris was asked to design a theme car for the next time comment. Theyll have something to say About your job Batmobile fan like the Batmobile fan like the Batmobile by the. A lot like the rest of us and had some world-class Batmobiles plural-in! 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Keep us posted when he was a modified 1953 Lincoln chassis RESTRICTIONS ORDERS... Reserved, Corvette-Powered Lincoln Futura prototype was transformed into Batmobile for 1966 TV show cars you feel About! Fleetside isnt a sweet ride, its just the least out-there for team... Attacking somebody elses hard work Lincoln chassis instructions was left in the show vehicle, a. No better than What we Ended up With the car that you depress clutch. Show ithey sold it to Keith Deans for 170 grand PLUS a 1936 hotrod is that true?... How astonishing is that true?? Keith Deans for 170 grand a...