10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Batmobile

4. The Bronze Age Batmobile

Batmobile Arkham Asylum Comic 600x400
DC Comics

The Batmobiles of the Bronze Age were designed and created for Batman by stunt driver Jack Edison, according to the Len Wein-written miniseries “The Untold Legend of the Batman”. Edison volunteered to create new cars for the Dark Knight after the hero saved the driver from a burning wreck.

Two artists dominate the designs of the Batmobile in the Bronze Age. The early part of the period belongs to Ernie Chan. Prior to Chan, Batman was driving nondescript and unaltered cars. But beginning in Batman #267, Chan returned to the more exaggerated car design which favored the earlier coupe with the open canopy and pointed fins at the rear. Batman #272 saw a 1970s Roadster with a prominent Bat emblem on the hood, a slim body, and a scalloped rear deck. This modified and armor-plated vehicle had a high-output engine that allowed it to reach race car-like speeds.

The design aesthetic of Norm Breyfogle reflected all the over-the-top aspects of the '80s. The wide, wedge-shaped design seen in Detective Comic #592 featured a fully enclosed canopy, a massive Bat-mask covering the hood, headlights in the eye slits, and a rear spoiler. In issue #601, Breyfogle continued the low and sleek design that was based on the Lamborghini Countach. It had a fully integrated sliding canopy, onboard computer and communication systems, and a jet turbine engine.

Contributor
Contributor

John Wilson has been a comic book and pop culture fan his entire life. He has written for a number of websites on the subject over the years and is especially pleased to be at WhatCulture. John has written two comic books for Last Ember Press Studio and has recently self-published a children's book called "Blue." When not spending far too much time on the internet, John spends time with his lovely wife, Kim, their goofy dog, Tesla, and two very spoiled cats.