Batmobile #2

Batmobile #2, circa 1982
Batmobiles numbers 2, 3 and 4 were constructed in an almost assembly line fashion, during the same period of time. The duplicate bodies were made from molds taken directly from the #1/Futura car.
12/7/98: #2 car owner, Dave Anderson, contacted me today to set the record straight on his car- specifically the reports that say the car is in rough shape, needing restoration and no longer in Virginia. According to Mr. Anderson:
"Batmobile #2 is not in South Dakota. It is still in Virginia; I haven't sold it. I still own Batmobile #2 (bought it directly from George Barris).
For some reason there is this misconception that my Batmobile is in bad condition and in need of restoration. Again to set the record straight, when I bought the car from Barris it was being displayed on a regular basis at various shows. Obviously, the show promoters and Barris would never show a beat-up car. So it was then and is now in beautiful displayable condition. From the first day I bought it, it has been displayed in a private garage for mine and my family's personal enjoyment. I think because I never allowed others to use it or display it, everyone thought it was in storage. Mechanically, the car does not run great, but this is something I plan to correct eventually."

So, THERE!!

Notice that these pictures were first identified by me as being of the #4 car, based on the wheels and tires. But other details have forced me to reconsider, and I now believe they depict the #2 car during the middle 1970s. After a few years of touring, she was dressed in 'Bat-Fuzz' to conceal stress cracks in the fiberglass, then rejoined her sisters on the car show tours.
These pictures are undated, so they may have been taken when the Bat-Fuzz was being added, or while it was being removed, but the rear glass is likely missing due to the work in progress.

In these shots, the car is still covered in BatFuzz, but now wears different wheels and door 'bats'. I assume these were taken just prior to 1982.
At the rear, above the afterburner, is a yellow beacon light not found on #2 today nor any of the other Batmobiles. This light replaces the antenna that Barris originally installed there. Also notice the hap- hazard way everything is mounted- the crappy plastic bat-phone on the dash, the square mirror mounted to the window frame, the signs thrown anywhere they fit. And what's with all those antenae?

Thanks to David Arland for the first three pics above.

This photo is cropped from a picture for sale at the Adam West commercial website, where they sell all sorts of autographed memorabilia from the series. Cockpit details seem identical to the pictures above.
The next pic below, supplied by and featuring Jim A. at the wheel, was taken several years ago and is of the same Batmobile shown in the above 'BatFuzz' pictures (note the background pictures are the same as in the three BatFuzz pics- perhaps part of a traveling display), except it now is without the 'BatFuzz' and Bat logos on the doors. It's still missing the rear canopies and Jim reports it was wearing the 'BF Goodrich' markings, too. The beacon is still all-red (no silver).
7/2/97: Here's a bunch of new pictures supplied by Scott Garland who reports that he drove this car (and took these pictures) in the early eighties (1982?). The location for the photos is the Cleveland, Ohio Auto-Rama.

First, you can see that the rear glass is still missing. Now also missing are the bat logos from the doors and wheels, made up for by the 'BF Goodrich' sponsorship decal. The tiny yellow strobe light above the afterburner is here again, and so are those big, gawdy, orange side mirrors.
It still wears the same 'Nugget'-type wheels seen on #2 today. Also notable is that the top strobe light has had silver vertical lines painted on it to simulate the look of those on the other Batcars.

Scott Garland reports the following:

"The Batmobile I drove was fiberglass, the rear portion of the car was a plywood(!) box over which the fiberglass had been formed.

The "parachute" packs were foam rubber over which std. drag chute covers had been sewn. The Hood/Front end was one piece, and pivoted foreward. The fuel tank was an old-style orange fuel tank, like you used to find on small outboard boats...approx. 3 gallons, and was located behind the passenger seat. The front "Lights" were orange-yellow reflectors, there were no working exterior lights on the car, except for the flashing red light on top.

Also, this car was missing the rear windscreens, and had BF Goodrich plastered on the lower rear quarter panels just behind the rear tires.

The car was not felted, although I seem to recall that the car had been felted, or that the company also had that car in their possession at that time."

In the late 1980s, this car underwent a restoration that included replacing ALL the glass, and putting 'Bats' back on the doors and wheels.
All of the following pics were taken between 1989 and 1991.
The above pictures were taken by Steve Brueggeman during a shopping mall appearance (1989?).

The above pictures were taken at another appearance.
The above pictures were taken by (Damn, I forgot! Email me if these are yours!) at yet another appearance.

These pics were snapped a few years ago by Bob Ellsworth at an Ohio appearance of the same car.
This one seems to show the car with YELLOW trim. I would guess it's just a processing error, but the skin tones are fine, and John Lario claims it was indeed yellow in person!
These pics, again of the same car, were sent in by Jim A.

The above pictures were taken by James Alexander around 1991 at an Owensboro, Kentucky appearance.
The Number Two car certainly got around a lot just before 1991, eh?
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