Whether we like it or not, it’s commonly accepted that one’s vehicle can be a pretty good visual representation of their symbol and character. That’s especially true in film. Cars become a centerpiece in cinema, where vehicle design is used commonly to personify the main character.
And what better Hollywood example of character personification using a vehicle than Batman and his legendary Batmobile. World-renowned designer Frank Stephenson takes a walk down memory lane to study the development of the Batmobile over the years, and how it shared similar characteristics with the respective era of Batman it belonged to.
Although there have been well over 250 Batmobiles over decades of comic strips, film, and cartoons, the first truly iconic Batmobile debuted in the 1966 film starring Adam West. Frank describes this car as “typical at the time”, with its radical design that was clearly inspired by the concept Lincoln Futura. However, the car wasn’t exactly macho-looking, and you can see its relation with Batman of that era, who wasn’t that much of a brute, to say the least.
According to Stephenson, the first true representation of a proper Batmobile was the one driven by Michael Keaton in the 1989 Batman film. This was a truly unique machine that you could tell was built from the ground up for the movie itself. Stephenson is certain that the design is based on jet aircraft due to the obvious air intake upfront and its jet fighter canopy. The car is a perfect blend of a war machine and sleek Batmobile style.
Read: The Shop Behind The Original Batmobile Barris Kustom, Is Closing
Fast forward six years, and the 1995 Batmobile gets back its completely over-the-top radical design. With huge wings and ribs that expose the internal parts of the car, you can tell that this car was inspired by the comic book versions as it is so exaggerated in how it looks and what it can do. Practicality doesn’t exactly seem to be the main concern here. Instead, the car seems to act as a reminder of how radical a Batmobile can really be.
In 2005 the Batmobile turned a blind eye towards cliché justice and sensible crime-fighting. This was the car that was driven by Christian Bale’s Batman, a vigilante that had revenge in his heart and believed in violence, and what better weapon on wheels than one that was made up by merging a Lamborghini Countach with a Humvee and then throwing in a cockpit of a fighter jet. The vehicle wasn’t so much about flashy design, it was an indestructible piece of weaponry driven by a Batman that was treading a fine line between good and evil.
See: Pictures Show New Batmobile Looks As If Its Gone Basic
2022 will introduce a new era of Batman, one portrayed by Robert Pattison, who is expected to go head to head against all-time classic villain The Riddler. With sneak peeks of the movie have been emerging before its release, the new Batmobile has been revealed as well, and it looks far less aggressive than its predecessors. Stephenson says that the rather simplistic style of this Batmobile gives him the sense of a Batman that has lost his wealth and credibility, as it looks like a car that he built himself, but only time will tell what DC has in store for the future of the Dark Knight.
