Proof the blog is picking up an audience is that Sid Belzberg read my "YES I MODIFIED THE BATMOBILE" PART 1 11/15/2013 in which I mentioned his BATMOBILE before the 66 TV Batmobile. Sid got in touch with me and has been keeping me in the loop on the unveiling at the Sacramento California Autorama this weekend where it was the most talked about car and a media hit!
The car was just a hand built custom when found built by Forrest Robinson,Mrs. Robinson on the stairs looking over the car.
Promoted Batman Ice Cream
Since it was not any type of production vehicle and only hired for 2 years I think they made a good choice in painting it Black and Red!
The whole project looks like it was a blast, family and friends all involved!
http://www.news10.net/story/news/features/2014/02/15/batmobile-appears-at-autorama/5524623/
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Mario Borbon of Borbon Fabrications in Sacramento California did a fantastic job bringing the car back to life, look at the paint job on this thing!
Sid's wife wheeling the car!
watch video
Thats two men from Batman Dairy Foods with the repainted Batmobile ready for work 1964!
Forrest Robinson's Daughters were present in Sacramento for the unveiling! Darlene Robinson sent me a nice email with a little more info on her dads creation. Like I said it really is a great story with a new life for the car!!
This car is the only true pre-66 Batmobile.
BUT
Two others were nothing more than a
SEE BELOW
This one had an elaborate story about a 1954 Batman movie made, never released and lost forever!
It was just a Varitas Spohn variant from Germany with some clever body mods.
More on Spohn later, he was called the George Barris of Ravensburg!
Look at the car above is that a compliment?
NEXT
Built on a 1950 Ford frame with flathead v8 power a Corvette was the inspiration and 57 Chevy Fins inspired
This 1963? Batmobile "NOT" was built from the Dick Williams Sport Special seen below and I guess the current owner thought it looked like a Batcar?
Dick Williams hand built the body from 1958-1959 a dream he held for many years prior after he botched an attempt to fill the roof in on his 33 Ford in 1948 using a Taylor and Art Plastic kit, fiberglass was new and he became friends with the owner Gilbert Taylor who taught him how to work with fiberglass.
Long story chopped down a bit,he hand formed the body while burning out several drill motors and used the sanding residue as body filler.
Although Dick was from Santa Cruz California he relocated to Kansas City Missouri, then slid to the Kansas side and built what was a California trend for the first time in the mid-west!
It was a hit at the 1959 Kansas City Custom car show and oddly enough Dick sold the car to a friend who helped build right on the show floor for $2600 and credited as owned by Norbert Borth because of the sale.
Dick built his dream car and then used the money to move his family back to Santa Cruz Ca.
Mr Williams is still out in California and owns Poli Form Fiberglass who make street rod bodies and components!
Races on the Salt Flats too!
So the story of the Dick Williams special?
Norbert moved to Memphis Tenn. in 1960 and left the car in an auto repair shop never to return!
In November of 2010 the car surfaced!
This Batmobile showed up on a comic book in the early 60's which may have sparked the current owner to make it a Batmobile? The comic book dates no earlier than 1962, the car was built in 1958!
DMV title says BATMANCAR on it and now powered by a small block Chevy V8
Remember my rant blog about bad videos check this out!
Lame music playing over the actual soundtrack - DON'T HIT MY MAIL BOX!!
the music continues while the screen stays blank for a long time!
The car is now owned by Bob Lowman in Tennessee? I think its great he has it back on the road, but why not have called Dick Williams and get some info about the original color and restore it as the Dick Williams special?
At 19" this is the worlds lowest car!
The FLATMOBILE was made to look like a squashed BATMOBILE, very cool!
Built from 2 Hillman Imps
Testing the jet engine- OH S*&T!
It's an epidemic they should call it the rabbitmobile because that's how they are multiplying since the last badbatmobile display- 21 more!
You never Heard of the Birmingham Batman?
71 Ford Thunderbird
Willie J. Perry would drive around and assist motorists, a true good samaritan!
At age 44 Mr. Perry died of accidental carbon monoxide ironically while working on the car in his garage in 1985!
The city bought the car for $15,000 as a tribute and it was displayed at the Southern Air Museum long before my visit, but with no signage, then at the State Fairgrounds and then in another municipal building garage.
In 2009 the city considered selling the car, also for legal purpose selling back to the family for $10 on paper.
The decision to return it to the family halted and the City Of Birmingham voted to restore the car and permanently display it in the new fairgrounds building as a tribute to Mr. Perry for his contributions to the city with the families approval!
Nice Story, they won't forget you Birmingham Batman!
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Note on the hoax Batmobile shown in 3 pictures just below the "HOAX" label above. This is actually one of the original Spohn Customs built on a near-new 1952 Lincoln by the Spohn Carosserie in Germany. The car in succeeding decades was re-customized twice, losing its original historic proportions. Yes, indeed the current "Batmobile theme" is strictly business promotional. Car resides near Cleveland.
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