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Ok, I confess, I was never a big Batman fan. Comics, TV show and even the movies, I just didn’t get excited over a guy in a bat costume. I mean really, those tiny, pointy bat ears on the top of his costumed head seemed just a little over the top for my kind of super crime fighter. Though I’m a car nut, through and through, the Batmobile did little to change that. Well, at least until now. Here in all of its 1:24th scale dimension, the model is a genuine hoot and exceptionally likable. The rear end, especially the taillights, are reminiscent of Cadillac; the front, a dead ringer for Lincoln. So what’s not to like? First I should start off by saying that this model is based on the 1960’s DC Comics version of the Batmobile. More pure in form than the late ‘80’s style Batmobile, the model is outwardly clean and unencumbered. It incorporates styling cues of the ‘60’s era wonderfully and gives us more serious collectors a reason to let our hair down and have fun with our models. Sitting amongst our regular collections this black beauty is sure to catch unsuspecting eyes and start conversations.
The deep black paint is even and rich and especially glossy. On the leading edge of the hood and the trailing end of the rear deck are flat black Bat logos. In front it is the mask of Batman with yellow eyes. In back it is the caped crusader’s moniker of the bat itself in full flight. Danbury embossed them onto the diecast beautifully and edged them in deep blue. The tapered hood bulge, long and slender, ends with a scoop opening that feeds a photoetched air inlet. The V-8 beneath features an engine cooling fan blade the likes of which are usually seen on Porsche 917/30’s of much later vintage. The plug wires are yellow and match the Bat emblem on the rocker covers. Tilted forward, you can easily see the detail under the hood and the photoetched air intake grills on either side of the front bumper edge. Both the radiator fan and engine cooling fan operate. You’ll find metal fuel lines and a windshield fluid bag and battery cables all to your liking. Underneath you will see the working suspension and the three guards that protect the engine’s oil pan, front suspension/bell housing and the rear’s differential.
The doors feature hidden hinges and when opened, reveal floor mats and door panels emblazoned with more bat logos. The controls, under each of the separate windshield pods, are many and varied. They offer lots of crime-fighting tools to our intrepid figures sitting so handsomely in the twin bucket seats. No, they are not removable. There is even a separate operational panel of gizmos available to Robin when his door is opened. It slides back from whence it came as you close the door with a secure snap. Open the trunk deck, from the front of this long twin-cowled piece, and you will see an amazing array of bat thing-a-ma-jigs. There are bat devices (don’t ask me, I told you I wasn’t a big fan) binoculars, flammable canisters, a pressure gauge of some sort and a change of clothes for our caped duo. There’s a removable investigation case with scissors, magnifying glass and a microscope inside. It is held in place magnetically.
There is a lot to enjoy on this model, including the prerequisite spinning bats on the wheels and the center-mounted red light for pulling over the bad guys. Even if you’re not a Batfan, this replica will bring a smile to your face. I’m still grinning.
(04/17/2004)
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