BATMOBILES ON DISPLAY IN THE MOTOR CITY

In addition to showcasing more than 800 classic cars and customized hotrods, the 2024 AUTORAMA that took place this weekend (March 1 - 3) included five generations of batmobiles and two batcycles on display. Holy Hotrods Batman! Featured were the original batmobile from the 1966-live action television series along with motorcycles ridden by Batman and Batgirl in the show as well as the cars the Dark Knight drove in the movies Batman Begins, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Justice League.

1960 ERA BATMOBILE

From January 12, 1966 though March 14, 1968, the adventures of Gotham City's caped crusader and his boy wonder sidekick were broadcast across the country on the ABC network. Batman, played by Adam West, and Robin, played by Burt Ward, engaged in a variety of comic book style battles with epic villains during the television series 120 episodes that spanned over three years. And while the show was filled with great actors and actresses playing its heroes and villains, it was a car that may had the most memorable role. Everyone knows and loves the Batmobile from this Batman tv series!

The vehicle was custom made for the show. Prior to this tv show, Batman drove a simple non-descript red sedan in the comic books and an average looking Cadillac in the 1940s film serials.  Television producers though wanted to have the hero have his own unique tricked out hotrod that would wow audiences. So, they purchased a Lincoln Futura concept car that Ford wasn't planning on bringing into production and transformed it into a crime fighting weapon. The concept of Batman having a cool looking, techy, super car was born! 

Autorama provided for a close up view of a replica of the original Batmobile and Batcycles from the 1960s era tv series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The vehicles have been autographed by a number of the cast from the show. With its double-bubble roof, fins and rocket engine this sure is a sweet ride! 

TIM BURTON-ERA BATMOBILE (1989 - 1992)

The batmobiles driven by Michael Keeton in the Tim Burton directed Batman movies was meant to have a gothic vibe and darker tone for the film compared to the campier Adam West ride. This batmobile was inspired by the vehicles of 1930s era salt-flat racers and the sliding canopies of fighter jets. The movie car was powered by a Chevrolet V-8 to give it some Motor City muscle! 

BATMAN FOREVER (1995)

The Batmobile driven by Val Kilmer in the Joel Schumacher directed film had more of a sci-fi inspiration to it compared to the one utilized by Burton. Designers took inspiration from under the sea in jelly fish and outer space with creatures from the film Alien to design this adaption of the Batmobile. There was an emphasis from the movie studio to lighten up the imagery of Batman to make the toys based on the film more appealing to kids. 

While this Batmobile didn't take design cues from prior makes and models of cars, it was built on a Corvette platform and utilizes a 345-horsepower Chevy 350 ZZ3 V-8 engine. While the body of this Batmobile may look like a toy, it is the real deal if you were to take it out on a race track. The vehicle on display at Autorama also sports Val Kilmer's autograph on its frame. 

BATMAN BEGINS (2005)

Director Chris Nolan wanted to have his Batman, Christian Bale, driving a vehicle that had more a real life military vehicle image to it. He envisioned a mashup of a Lamborghini with a Humvee.  In essence, Nolan wanted a super-fast tank. The batmobile that resulted became known as the Tumbler.

The Tumbler is equipped with 44-inch monster truck tires and a Chevy LS1, 5.7-liter V-8 engine. This movie car was so fast that a Mercedes camera-car could hardly keep up with it while filming scenes for the movie. The Batmobile Tumbler is a beast! 

JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)

Ben Affleck's Batmobile in the Zack Snyder DC Comics inspired movies is a leaner version of the Tumbler. It looks more like a fast, futuristic armored car versus the Tumbler's tank-like appearance. While the Justice League version of the Batmobile doesn't have working machine guns and missile launchers, it does have a real life Ford F350 Raptor 700 horsepower truck engine in it. Vroom! Vroom!

Five generations of Gotham City batmobiles on display in the Motor City. Which batmobile is your favorite? I'm torn between the Tumbler and one that wasn't on display at Autorama, the muscle car driven by Robert Pattinson in 2022's The Batman which had more of the appearance of a hotrod versus a techy super car. Yet, I would be GEEKED to take any of these batmobiles for a spin and it was awesome to get a close up look at these five cars at the Autorama display.

This year was Autorama's 71st annual event in Detroit. For more information about Autorama or other hot rod shows held around the country, including Cincinatti, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis and Kansas City, visit autorama.com. Also check out @hotrodshows on Instagram and Twitter. 

FIVE GENERATIONS OF THE BATMOBILE ON DISPLAY IN DETROIT

Holy Hotrods Batman! Five generations of Batmobiles will be on display in the Motor City at the 2024 Autorama show being held in the Huntingon Place convention center from March 1 - 3. Featured will be the original batmobile from the 1966-live action television series as well as the cars the Caped Crusader used in the movies Batman Begins, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Justice League. Don't miss out on the chance to get an up close look at these super hotrods from Gotham City! 

The show takes place Friday, March 1, 2024 from Noon to 10 pm; Saturday, March 2 from 9 am to 10 pm, and Sunday, March 3 from 10 am to 7 pm. Adult general admission is $27; Kids (6 - 12) admission is $10; Children under 5 are FREE. Also discounted tickets are available at O'Reilly Auto Parts stores.

In addition to the batmobiles, hundreds of classic cars and hotrods will be showcased during this three-day event. For more information, visit autorama.com 

DETROIT AUTORAMA 2020

Thanks to Championship Auto Show Incorporated  for inviting ageekdaddy.com down to the TCF Center for a tour of the 68th Detroit AUTORAMA. This annual event known as "America's Greatest Hot Rod Show" showcases dozens of custom and classic cars. AUTORAMA 2020 also has two special exhibits on display with one featuring the race cars used in filming the movie Ford vs Ferrari and the other highlighting 5 of the most significant hot rods of the 20th Century.

Detroit AUTORAMA 2020 is sponsored Meguiars, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the Summit Racing Equipment Show Car Series. It takes place February 28 through March 1. Show hours are Friday Noon - 10pm, Saturday 9 am - 10pm and Sunday 10am - 7pm. General admission is $21 with children (6 - 12 years old) costing $8 to get in. Children under 6 years old are FREE. Discounted tickets are also available at O'Reilly stores at $19 for adults and $7 for kids. Go to autorama.com for more info.



THE CARS FROM THE MOVIE FORD VS FERRARI

Two race cars used in filming scenes for the movie Ford vs Ferrari are on exhibit at this year's Detroit AUTORAMA. The #95 car depicts a Ford GT40 in race scenes during the movie. This green race car was also painted during production to also be seen as the red #3 and yellow #8 race cars seen in Le Mans sequences during Ford vs Ferrari.

The red #20 car on display at AUTORAMA was used to depict the Ferrari 330 P3 on-screen in the movie. Both of these vehicles used for filming scenes in Ford vs Ferrari are modern day replicas of the original 1960s era race cars. They were both created by Race Car Replicas of Fraser, Michigan specifically for use in Ford vs Ferrari. Ironically, both of these cars sport Chevy engines underneath their replicated Ford and Ferrari exteriors.



The plot of Ford vs Ferrari is based upon a real life story in this movie which is one of the best racing movies to come out of Hollywood in years. It is the story of American automotive designer Carroll Shelby and fearless British race car driver Ken Miles as they battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary vehicle for the Ford Motor Company. Together, they plan to compete against the race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.



Can Shelby and Miles get their GT40 over the finish line in triumph over the Ferrari 330 P3 which is known as one of the most beautiful and fastest cars ever built at that time. You will have to watch the movie to find out! Pick up Ford vs Ferrari at Best Buy on Blu-ray. If you purchase the movie through ageekdaddy.com link this dad blogger will receive a small commission at not additional expense to you. Thanks for your support!



You can also get an up close look at the Ford GT cars that are currently competing on race tracks around the world. Ford Performance has a motor sports area at AUTORAMA with a number of engines and vehicles on display. Today's Ford GT are still inspired by the race track success of the model that won Le Mans as seen in the movie Ford vs Ferrari.

MOST SIGNIFICANT HOT RODS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Look back at the roots of the show, this year AUTORAMA has a special exhibit of some of the most iconic hot rods that inspired generations of gearheads and wrench monkeys. Take a look at five custom cars that are at the heart of hot rod heritage. On display are Norm Grabowski's Kookie T (known for its appearances on the television show 77 Sunset Strip), Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Beatnik Bandit (which was the inspiration for the look of one of Hot Wheels first toy cars) and Outlaw, Bob McGee's Ford Roadster, and Tommy Ivo's T Bucket.

KOOKIE T

This car showed the fun side of hot rod culture through a full page picture in LIFE Magazine of Norm Grabowski enjoying a hamburger in his car outside a Hollywood Big Boy restaurant. Grabowski used his career as a stunt driver to get his hot rod featured in a number of movies and television shows, most notably serving as the ride for Gerald Lloyd “Kookie” Kookson III in the detective show 77 Sunset Strip (1958 - 1964). The popularity of this car created what was known as the T-Bucket craze of the late '50s / early '60s. This included inspiring the hot rods used in the Munsters tv show (1964-66). I loved that show! Norm Grabowski's Kookie T is considered one of the world's most famous hot rods ever built.

BEATNIK BANDIT

This hot rod by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth inspired one of the original Hot Wheels car designs released by Mattel. The Mattel toy car was released in 1968 as one of the first sixteen vehicles for the Hot Wheels brand. The actual hot rod was built in 1960 off of a 1950 Oldsmobile chassis and was known for its bubble top that served as both a roof and a door to the vehicle. One of the most recognizable hot rods loved by both car aficionados and toy collectors alike.

OUTLAW

Ed Roth built more than 40 hot rods with original and futuristic designs during his lifetime. The 1960s was considered the "Roth Era" of Hot Rod design with the cars he crafted inspiring others to duplicate his stylings. The car that started it all was his 1959 Outlaw that itself was inspired by Norm Grabowksi's Kookie T but utilized a brand new technique for the chassis by uniquely crafting it with fiberglass. Known for 6'4" height and 240 pound physique, Big Daddy Roth followed up Outlaw with vehicles that looked like spaceships like the Beatnick Bandit (1960), Mysterion (1963) and Orbitron (1964). Ed Roth created cars that both car geeks and sci fi fans can appreciate and it all started with the Outlaw.

FORD ROADSTER

Returning from military service in WWII, Bob McGee crafted what was to become the stereotype for the classic post-World War roadster hot rod. In fact the term hot rod came from the increasing popularity of people calling modified roadsters "hot" thus hot roadster eventually became "hot rod." McGee's discarding parts that didn't improve the speed or appearance of his vehicle, lowering the suspension, supping up the engine, and giving the car custom painting and upholstery provided a check list of details that became a standard for crafting a hot rod. His 1940s innovations soon became standard fare for hot rods in the following decades. He backed this reputation by getting his customized Ford Roadster to be timed at 112.21 mph in 1947. A 1948 cover photo on Hot Rod Magazine ensured that McGee and his Roadster would be long remembered as leaders in car customization.

T BUCKET

This hot rod gained a following in the 1950s because its owner Tommy Ivo was known for both being an illegal street racer in Los Angeles with a reputation for never losing on the drag as well as competing in sanctioned motor sport track events by the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). An appearance by the T Bucket (inspired by the Kookie T) in Hot Rod Magazine as well as in the 1956 movie Dragstrip Girl fueled the popularity of this hot rod and its bucket style chassis. Having reached speeds of up to 119 mph drag racing at San Fernando Speedway, Tommy Ivo's T Bucket absolutely earned its cred with hot rod enthusiasts!



In addition to these exhibits, there are also numerous classic automobiles, customized vehicles, tricked out trucks, and race cars to check out. Plus don't miss out exploring the basement exhibit area of TCF Center which is showing a gritty collection of cars from exhibitors like the Deadlast Car Club. This area is featuring live music and car renovation demonstrations as well as showing any car can get a new life. Even a postal truck!

One of my favorite cars at AUTORAMA was this hot rod based upon a Prohibition era rum runner. Now that is a sweet ride!

There is sure to be a vehicle on display for anyone to geek out over at AUTORAMA as you wander through its galleries of cars. You can even get autographs and pictures with WWE Legend Ric Flair,  Cody Walker from the Fast & Furious movies, race car driver Lyn St. James and Marvel Comics' Spider-Man. Have some Motor City fun by visiting Detroit's AUTORAMA 2020!