THE FIRST BATMOBILE EVER BUILT THAT WAS OFFICIALLY TOURED BY A DC COMICS LICENSEE NOW RESTORED
"AS A YOUNG BOY, ROWING UP IN THE 1950's I ENJOYED BATMAN COMICS AND SEEING DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE BATMOBILE. THIS HELPED SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION WHEN I DREW SKETCHES OF MY DREAM CAR THAT I STARTED BUILDING IN 1960 AND FINISHED IN 1963" - FORREST ROBINSON
The world's first custom car, tarted in 1960 and finished in 1963, that was sanctioned and toured as a Batmobile by a DC Comics licensee was conceived and built by 23-year-old Forrest Robinson. Forrest begun building the car together with a young friend, en Perham, n the Robinson family barn. Robinson completed the car in 1963 - two years before the George Barris' customization of the Lincoln Futura Concept Car used for the TV Batmobile was started.
The 1963 Batmobile is the earliest known custom car that was actually sanctioned by a DC Comics licensee to be used as a Batmobile. The ’63 Batmobile was custom-built from the ground up. Starting with a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 frame and the famous 324 Rocket engine—a predecessor of 1960s muscle cars—Robinson replaced the Oldsmobile body with his custom-designed fiberglass body, porting the Batmobile’s iconic dorsal fin, at-nose front-end and pocket sliding doors, eminiscent of the 1950s DC Comics Batmobiles.
When Robinson completed his masterpiece in 1963, e left the car unpainted —a stunning piece of art-on-wheels was simply covered in a coat of white gelco. Robinson had also planned to build a glass-domed roof on the Batmobile which he did not have a chance to complete as he was called overseas on an army assignment. For a few months in1963 Robinson was using the unpainted Batmobile as a driver to commute to the Aberdeen weapons testing grounds in Maryland from Keene New Hampshire where he was attending military courses at that time. His fellow soldiers were very impressed with his newly minted Batmobile! Shortly after that Robinson was transferred overseas at which time the unpainted Batmobile stayed in storage with his brother for several years .
Upon Robinson's return from overseas in 1966, atmania had started in earnest and Robinson's comic book inspired Batmobile even in its unpainted white color caused such a sensation that ALL STAR Dairies and its New Hampshire affiliate, reen Acres Ice Cream (a DC Comic Book licensee), eased it for a promotional campaign.In 1966, fter three years in storage the unpainted Batmobile was finally painted in official Batman colors, adged with official Batman labels, nd toured the Eastern U.S. as “Batman’s Batmobile”, s noted in a 1966 Keene Sentinel newspaper article. The Batmobile was returned to Robinson in late 1966, round the time when replicas of the Barris TV Batmobile were built and made available for touring.
In 1966 the only other real Batmobile was the TV Barris Batmobile built in 1965 that was being used for the TV series. Replicas for touring were not built until the last few months of 1966. So the Robinson Batmobile became the first Batmobile that was officlally publicly toured as a Batmobile in addition to being the first attempt at a real Batmobile being actually built and driven in 1963.
Unlike the Barris Batmobile the Robinson Batmobile has features similar to the 1950s comic book cars with the large single dorsal fin and a bat nose (instead of the Bat Mask seen in the comics) on the front. The bat nose was a compromise by the builder who thought it looked better then the bat mask seen in the comics and technically overcame heating and aerodynamic problems involved with installing a large mask on the front of the car. The amazing thing is the nose is indeed identical to that of a an actual bat.
The car was originally painted a comic book blue/purple color as depicted of the Batmobiles in the comic books of the 1950s. When we restored the car we repainted the car in the more popular black and Red Color theme originally seen in the comic books of the 1940s and of course later seen in Black and Orange on the original Barris TV Batmobile. We still have the original decals made by 3M and authorized by National Periodic Publications (then owner of DC Comics) for All Star Dairies with the official Batman Logo as seen in the period photo from this listing in case the new owner wants to repaint the car to the original purple blue comic book colors with white finishes replete with the original decals.
The Robinson Batmobile was returned to Robinson in late 1966, after several replicas of the Barris Batmobile were built for tours at that time), sed as a regular driver this time without the Batman decals and colours until he sold the car in 1967. Within a few years, he car lay abandoned in a New Hampshire field and for several decades remained a long-forgotten piece of American Pop Culture.
Only two designs for custom cars were used in the 1960s as real Batmobiles. The TV one and this one that is comic book inspired. 5 TV Batmobiles were built and only this one of this earlier design.
In 2008, he '63 Batmobile was discovered by Bobby Smith of Swanzey, H. The car then changed hands several times. In February 2013, oy Car Exchange LLC purchased the Batmobile from George Albright a well known car historian who had it listed here on Ebay and transported it to Borbon Fabrications in Sacramento, A - a specialist in vintage car restorations. Restored to pristine condition, ovingly, n a painstaking, ear-long process, etaining the original frame, arts, nd engine, he Batmobile was given a second life Early in 2014, he long-forgotten ’63 Batmobile debuted at the renowned Sacramento Autorama, merica's longest running indoor car show. It won first prize in the handbuilt sports class, head of legendary classics such as the Shelby Cobra.
In October of 2014, he car was invited to the prestigious Pasadena Car Classic show, here it was displayed together with three other Batmobiles.