Welcome To Our BatmobileTM Website
Brief History of the 1966 Batmobile
The 1966 Batmobile started out as the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. It was rear-wheel drive built on a 1956 Continental Mark II chassis and was powered by a 368 cubic inch V-8 engine that generated 330 horsepower. The engine was mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission with push-button controls in the center of the steering wheel.
The pearlescent Frost-Blue White Futura was designed by William Schmidt, Douglas Poole, Sr., and John Najjar. It was hand-built by Ghia in Turin, Italy at a cost of $250,000. The Futura officially debuted at the Chicago Auto Show on January 8, 1955. Ultimately, Ford sold the Futura in 1962 for $1.00 to George Barris.
In late 1965, 20th Century Fox Television and William Dozier's Greenway Productions contracted with Barris to design and build a Batmobile for their upcoming “BatmanTM” TV-series. Based on Eddie Graves initial design work, Barris and his team of Herb Grasse, Bill Cushenbery, Gale Black, and Richard Korkes transformed the 5,500-lb steel-body Futura into Batman’s crime-fighting vehicle in just three weeks for $30,000. In addition to the original #1 steel-body Batmobile, Barris built three fiberglass-body Batmobiles.
On October 18, 1966, the US Patent Office granted Barris a patent (#205998) for his “new design” of the Batmobile. George Barris retained ownership of the car (estimated to be worth $125,000 at the time) and leased it to 20th Century Fox and Greenway Productions.
On January 19, 2013, the iconic Batmobile sold at Barrett-Jackson auction for $4,600,000 to car collector, Rick Champagne, from Phoenix, AZ.
About THE RITZ/ALMEIDA BATMOBILE
Provenance
The original owner of the 1979 metallic Dark Beryl (green) Lincoln Continental (LC) 4-door Town Car sedan was Charles H. Barre of Findlay, OH, who purchased it from Walter Motor Sales in Fostoria, OH, for approx. $13,000. Mr. Barre sold the car to Sylvia Romo of San Antonio, TX, in 2004 (price unknown). Five years later, Ms, Romo sold it to David Reese McKay of Topeka, KS, in 2009 (price unknown). In 2014, Mr. Reese sold it to Anthony Casale of Califon, NJ for $1,200.
In 2015, Mr. Casale contracted Jim Benken of Batrodz, LLC (Long Island, NY) to convert the LC into a “Gotham Roadster” (BGR676J100026), aka, a 1966 Batmobile replica. According to e-mail correspondence, Mr. Casale instructed Batrodz to mount the Batmobile’s fiberglass body onto the modified 1979 LC chassis, with the original engine and drivetrain intact.
Sadly, Mr. Casale passed away in 2018 before he could realize his dream of driving the iconic 1966 Batmobile. In 2019, Anthony Casale’s wife, Carol, sold the unfinished Batmobile to Paul Almeida and Paul Ritz for $20,000. This dynamic son-in-law/father-in-law duo finally took possession of the finished restoration on June 29, 2021.
The Original 1966 Batman Opening and Closing Theme . . .
Testimonials
What our customers write about us
“I’ve seen several Batmobile replicas over the years at various car shows but this is, by far, the best looking one! The paint job is fantastic, and all the bat gadgets are awesome! Paul is a very gregarious guy who loves sharing his passion for the Batmobile and its evolution and history.”
“It was a great honor to have the Batmobile participate in Hillsborough's 250th Anniversary Parade, honoring our Township's Anniversary and our Veterans. Paul donated his time to participate in the parade and most recently has been participating in other community events. His generous spirit is appreciated, and residents enjoy seeing the Batmobile around town.”
“OMG! The Batmobile showed up at our store the other day. I was blown away! Paul even helped me deliver a pizza order to the Bedminster Township municipal office. I got to ride in the Batmobile; it was a dream come true!
“Are you ever too old to take a ride with Batman in the Batmobile?? Absolutely not! Thanks, Mr. Ritz, for transporting us back to another time and place. We/I needed that!!!”
“The Batmobile was a big hit at the Flemington Department Store’s annual car show this year. It truly deserved to win the BEST IN SHOW trophy! It is definitely a unique vehicle, and it's beautiful!”
“It was a rare privilege to photograph Paul’s Batmobile for his 2022 Batmobile Calendar. The attention to detail throughout the car is amazing. This car is iconic and holds so many special memories for those of us who grew up with the Batman TV show from the ‘60s. To see this car in person just makes people smile and relive their childhood.”