Batmobile sells for $4.4 million

KA-POW! The iconic Batmobile, which famously appeared in the 1960s American television show, has sold for a whopping $4.4 million.

Sold at a classic car auction in Scottsdale Arizona last weekend, the original 19-foot long, bubble-topped car was purchased by Rick Champagne, a logistics company executive and long-time Batman fan.

It marks a princely windfall for the car’s previous owner, famed car customiser George Barris, who first bought the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car for $1 from Ford.

Barris then transformed it into the Batmobile in just 15 days, with a budget of US$15,000, according to the car’s auction notes. Features include: bulletproof Plexiglas bubble windshields; a Bat Ray comprising two 450 Watt lasers; oil squirters and the Bat Phone.

But don’t expect to see the Batmobile fighting crime on the streets. Champagne plans to store his new purchase in his living room.