Batman's Car

[Vertigo58]

Back around the height of the popularity of the hit TV series Batman circa 1966 you could dial a number (on your rotary phone) listen for a while, then all of a sudden you would hear the Batmobile burning rubber and tires squealing. The turbo sound would roar for a while then take off. I remember we kids would all crowd around the receiver because it was such a mystery and we couldnt beleive it! Must have been some kind of promotional campaign or something? I still get a bit gitty thinking about it!

VRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!

[dbigtex56]

Back around the height of the popularity of the hit TV series Batman circa 1966 you could dial a number (on your rotary phone) listen for a while, then all of a sudden you would hear the Batmobile burning rubber and tires squealing. The turbo sound would roar for a while then take off. I remember we kids would all crowd around the receiver because it was such a mystery and we couldnt beleive it! Must have been some kind of promotional campaign or something? I still get a bit gitty thinking about it!

VRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Could this be it?

[nm5k]

Back around the height of the popularity of the hit TV series Batman circa 1966 you could dial a number (on your rotary phone) listen for a while, then all of a sudden you would hear the Batmobile burning rubber and tires squealing. The turbo sound would roar for a while then take off. I remember we kids would all crowd around the receiver because it was such a mystery and we couldnt beleive it! Must have been some kind of promotional campaign or something? I still get a bit gitty thinking about it!

VRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!

I always liked that car.. The main reason I used to watch batman back in the 60's.

The car actually was a movie star in a previous life before becoming a bat.

I had alway known that Barris built the car from a lincoln, but never knew

until recently that the lincoln was the lincoln "futura". Not yer run o the mill

ford... The futura was a concept car that ford built about 1959 or so.

I happened to be watching AMC a few months ago and came across a movie.

In the movie, the car was part of the plot, and the second I saw it, I knew

what it was. Holy Lugnuts Robin!!!, it's the batmobile in a previous life form!

Check these pix out..

I also put them on my server in case the attachments don't go..

The Futura...

http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/linc3.jpg

http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/linc6.jpg

http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/linc11.jpg

And the batmobile...

http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/1966.jpg

MK

[roym]

Back around the height of the popularity of the hit TV series Batman circa 1966 you could dial a number (on your rotary phone) listen for a while, then all of a sudden you would hear the Batmobile burning rubber and tires squealing. The turbo sound would roar for a while then take off. I remember we kids would all crowd around the receiver because it was such a mystery and we couldnt beleive it! Must have been some kind of promotional campaign or something? I still get a bit gitty thinking about it!

VRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Yes, well there was something similar in the mid 70s we called the Batphone or the Batsiren - all that played was a high-pitched siren sound. I think it was actually some sort of phone company test equipment.

LOL!

[fresnel151]

I remember one we called the "headless horseman". When the line answered there was a short buzzing sound (sawing off his head) and then an endlessly repeating clip clop sound of his horse. As roym said, these were various test numbers for the telephone company technicians. Too bad we didn't know about the Capt'n Crunch whistle back then...

[Guest Marty]

I remember one we called the "headless horseman". When the line answered there was a short buzzing sound (sawing off his head) and then an endlessly repeating clip clop sound of his horse. As roym said, these were various test numbers for the telephone company technicians. Too bad we didn't know about the Capt'n Crunch whistle back then...

In the early 1980's you could the call Pac-Man phone number 322 and Frogger at 611.

Edited February 4, 2007 by Marty

[Guest danax]

I always liked that car.. The main reason I used to watch batman back in the 60's.

The car actually was a movie star in a previous life before becoming a bat.

I had alway known that Barris built the car from a lincoln, but never knew

until recently that the lincoln was the lincoln "futura". Not yer run o the mill

ford... The futura was a concept car that ford built about 1959 or so.

I happened to be watching AMC a few months ago and came across a movie.

In the movie, the car was part of the plot, and the second I saw it, I knew

what it was. Holy Lugnuts Robin!!!, it's the batmobile in a previous life form!

Check these pix out..

I also put them on my server in case the attachments don't go..

The Futura...

Thanks. I've wondered my whole life what car was under the Batmobile. Definitely a major part of what made that show ultra cool....to an 8 year old anyway. Barris created some interesting designs. Anyone remember those trading cards that came out around that time with some of his cars on them? And of course Ed "Big Daddy" Roth? Remember those stickers of cartoon cars of his that came in packs?

Custom cars really blossomed in that era, some being a bit goofy.

"Hey, hey, we're the Monkees".

[nm5k]

Thanks. I've wondered my whole life what car was under the Batmobile. Definitely a major part of what made that show ultra cool....to an 8 year old anyway. Barris created some interesting designs. Anyone remember those trading cards that came out around that time with some of his cars on them? And of course Ed "Big Daddy" Roth? Remember those stickers of cartoon cars of his that came in packs?

Custom cars really blossomed in that era, some being a bit goofy.

"Hey, hey, we're the Monkees".

Yea, he built a lot of them. I think he also built the two cars for the "Munsters" TV

show. IE: the old black coach looking thang, and the "coffin dragster".

MK

[dbigtex56]

And who can forget the Ala Kart?

I had one of these AMT models as a child:

[Jermaine]

In the early 1980's you could the call Pac-Man phone number 322 and Frogger at 611.

Geez...I thought I was the only one who remembered the PACMAN and FROGGER numbers.

Did you ever call the 'E.T.' number?

It was 444-0099.

You got weird cosmic sounds...trippy stuff.

[northbeaumont]

Back around the height of the popularity of the hit TV series Batman circa 1966 you could dial a number (on your rotary phone) listen for a while, then all of a sudden you would hear the Batmobile burning rubber and tires squealing. The turbo sound would roar for a while then take off. I remember we kids would all crowd around the receiver because it was such a mystery and we couldnt beleive it! Must have been some kind of promotional campaign or something? I still get a bit gitty thinking about it!

VRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!

I watched Batman when I was a kid back in the 1960s. My dad would say: "They must be dumb. Everything in the Batcave and the Batmobile is labeled."

[Highway6]

I watched Batman when I was a kid back in the 1960s. My dad would say: "They must be dumb. Everything in the Batcave and the Batmobile is labeled."

If you ever find yourself in Houston, Alaska. There is a batmobile out front Gorilla Fireworks on Highway3. I'm sure it has made for many a tourist's (mine included) photo-op stops since it's on a major highway between two of the state's major tourist spots.

[MidtownCoog]

I think the Chic Filet dude owns the original.

[mkultra25]

The 3 Barris built replicas

[houwest]

There are two Batmobiles here in Houston. They may be from the movie, not the TV show. They are in the John OQuinn collection along with a kazillion other cars.

[Vertigo58]

A little off subject, but has anyone ever got to meet Adam West? We kids would have probably passed out if we ever saw him in person back then. That is all we used to talk about when the TV show was at its height of popularity.

I still remember each of us would play the different characters from the show. One day you could be Robin, The Joker, Egghead, Mr Freeze, The Riddler and the girls would be Catwoman, Batgirl, etc. Someone would shout go and everyone would start kicking and punching and rolling on the ground. We would toss nets (blankets) on the criminals pretending to capture them.

Can imagine what the neighbors thought?

[northbeaumont]

A little off subject, but has anyone ever got to meet Adam West? We kids would have probably passed out if we ever saw him in person back then. That is all we used to talk about when the TV show was at its height of popularity.

I still remember each of us would play the different characters from the show. One day you could be Robin, The Joker, Egghead, Mr Freeze, The Riddler and the girls would be Catwoman, Batgirl, etc. Someone would shout go and everyone would start kicking and punching and rolling on the ground. We would toss nets (blankets) on the criminals pretending to capture them.

Can imagine what the neighbors thought?

ZOP! BAM! SOCK!

My dad liked Frank Gorshin's (the Riddler) laugh. Cesar Romero's (the Joker) was also funny. Their subordinates always dressed in various uniforms. When Egghead (played by Vincent Price) would agree with something, he would say "Egg-cellent."

[jwphillips2]

My wife showed me some of first issues of Batman.

The original Batmobile had a fin on top and Batman changed in the car!

[northbeaumont]

My wife showed me some of first issues of Batman.

The original Batmobile had a fin on top and Batman changed in the car!

I didn't like the Batman movie which starred Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. But I like that first Superman movie when Lois Lane was screaming for help from the top of the Daily Planet building. Clark Kent went looking for a telephone booth to change in, but all he could find were pay phones out in the open.

There's something I haven't seen since at least back in the 1980s: A telephone booth. Are there any still around Houston? Because of cell phones, any kind of a pay phone anywhere is rare. I remember the three coins slots on top: quarter, dime, & nickel.