TV Batmobile sells for $233,000

I'm sorry to say the Batmobile has sold to a private buyer. This means that those of us who hadn't yet come across this iconic four-wheeler at a car show or convention probably won't get the chance.

After a Bidding War, Batmobile Sells for $200K at Auction
by Alex Morales, Bloomberg News. From the NY Sun

A shopper with $233,000 to spare went away with a vehicle fit for a superhero when a Batmobile from the 1960s television series "Batman" was sold at auction Tuesday.

The car was the sixth of an unspecified number built for the 120-episode ABC series based on the DC Comics hero, according to Coys auctioneers in London. Four or five bidders helped drive its price more than 50% above the upper estimate, said Chris Routledge, an auctioneer at Coys.

The car, which is almost 20 feet long, is black with scarlet lines to highlight its contours and winged chassis.

"It's a fantastically iconic piece of machinery — the Batman appeal spans more than 30 years," Anthony Godin, auction manager at Coys, said Tuesday in a telephone interview prior to the sale. "It's the Batmobile! Who wouldn't want to own it?"

Coys declined to identify the seller, a private collector. The winning bid came from a private museum based in the Cayman Islands, Mr. Routledge said late Tuesday in a telephone interview.

The Batmobile was the 144th of 163 lots and had a lot number of 241. The sale included vintage cars and automobile memorabilia such as posters and branded souvenirs, and ran until past 9 p.m. London time yesterday.

Photo Silver Screen Collection / Hulton Archive / Getty