Building the Ultimate 1966 Batmobile! Custom Corvette-Powered Batmobile
American films and television series have featured many notable rides, from the DeLorean DMC-12 in Back to the Future to the Chevrolet Camaro “Bumblebee” in Transformers. While there are plenty of pop culture cars to appreciate, one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable cars is the Batmobile from the 1966 Batman series.
We were lucky enough to see a stunning replica of this classic Batmobile at the 2025 Indianapolis World of Wheels. The owner of this car, Tim Thompson, is a long-standing fan of the classic Batman series, and he spent years perfecting this one-of-a-kind ride. The result is a powerful beauty that draws a great deal of attention wherever Tim drives it.
Let’s take a closer look at this‘66 Batmobile Replica to admire Tim’s remarkable attention to detail, both inside and out.
Sourcing the ‘66 Batmobile Replica
Tim Thompson took a great interest in Barris’ Batmobile from a young age. He watched the 1966 Batman series as a child and was completely enamored by the car. Tim dreamed how it would be to own such a vehicle, as it was the most breathtaking car he had ever seen.
The original Batmobile from the 1966 Batman series is a custom 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura concept car. World-renowned custom auto-maker George Barris designed and engineered the original Batmobile, and it’s now on display at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
After decades of honing his craft of constructing custom cars, Tim decided to get to work building his own personal Batmobile. Rather than using a Ford Futura as the base, Tim chose to modify a low-mileage fourth-generation Corvette. He and his team removed the Corvette’s front and rear suspension and crafted a custom frame to lay the groundwork for his replica.
Tim obtained the body for his custom Batmobile from a company called Bat Rods located in New York. The owner of Bat Rods mounted the custom body onto the vehicle’s frame and aligned the vehicle’s doors, hood, and trunk. He also installed the car’s windshield.
Next, Tim and his team got to work on the vehicle’s powertrain, electrical components, and numerous cosmetic features, assembling a road-ready work of automotive art.
Crafting the ‘66 Batmobile Replica With Custom Paint and Accessories
Tim and his team equipped the ‘66 Batmobile Replica with a new GM Performance Crate Engine paired with an overdrive transmission, giving modern power to this recreation. They also completed the car’s electrical work and other components to make it drivable.
The next stage was equipping the car with its sleek black and red finish. Recreating the original Batmobile’s paintwork is essential for capturing its iconic style, and it took years to perfect the paint on Tim’s replica.
With the car’s paint and body complete, Tim and his team went to work adding the car’s many accessories, paying attention to all the details to faithfully recreate the original.
Tim recounted how adding the accessories was a lot of fun, as he and his team had to get creative recreating details from the original series. The team fabricated many of the Batmobile’s accessories, as Batman’s original buttons, gadgets, and accents are not for sale.
They spent hours viewing pictures online and from the original series to handcraft these trimmings, but recreating the detailed accessories with accuracy proved challenging. Tim and his team frequently had to remake certain elements after discovering that the details didn’t quite replicate the original vehicle.
They first experimented with poster board, cardboard, and other cheap materials to ensure the accessories were accurate and would fit properly. Next, they created metal versions of these accessories.
Some especially cool details within the car are the roll-top dash, steering wheel, and mobile crime computer in the vehicle’s trunk. These features took multiple passes to recreate, but they make Tim’s replica more accurate and impressive.
Showcasing the ‘66 Batmobile Replica on the Road
Tim and his team started this exceptional recreation in 2018 and completed it in 2024. While it took six years, the end product is clearly worth it, and they are happy with the completed replica.
From the beginning, Tim intended for his 1966 Batmobile Replica to be 100% drivable and street-legal. With its Corvette suspension and GM driveline, the car runs exceedingly well. Tim noted that its steering is similar to a crew cab pickup truck due to its lengthy wheelbase, but this doesn’t impact its performance and driveability.
He now enjoys showcasing this recreation at local events. Tim is not the only gearhead who appreciates this pop culture icon – everyone who comes across this recreation is in awe of it. Tim mentioned that even something as simple as pumping gas takes a lot of time, as everyone around wants to see this beauty up close.
With the car’s style and street performance, Tim plans to spend plenty of time cruising around and enjoying the open road, fulfilling his childhood wish to drive his own personal Batmobile.
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