Batmobile Beetle

[unclescott58]

One of the reason I loved Batman as kid over all other super heroes was the cars. And cool cars with fins besides! I love fins. So I collect Batmobiles. Kits, die casts, most anything. But, mainly from the Golden and Silver age of comics. Pre 1970.

About 5 years ago, I was surfing the web and found a guy from an outfit called Academy Art & Design offering a resin for converting the Polar Lights Herbie the Love Bug kit into a Batmobile. I liked this. It's both weird and cool! The only trouble is by the time I saw this, the Herbie kit was getting a little hard to find. And I didn't have one in my collection.

Talking with friends about this after a Model Car Club of MN meeting one night, another member, Bill also thought this was cool and decided I needed to do it. He said he would give me a Herbie kit from his collection if I bought the resin conversion kit. How could I pass that up? Below are results. I finished this several years ago, but I thought people might still get a kick out of seeing it.

I have two theories on why Batman would have Volkswagen Beetle Batmobile. One is for Dick Grayson/Robin when he flew the nest (yes I'm going for the bad pun) in the comics in 1969 to go to college. We know he took his Robincycle with him. But, a motorcycle does not work well under certain conditions. He needed a car. And everybody in college at that time was driving Beetles. Plus how much trouble could Robin get into with a VW Beetle? It makes sense.

The second theory? The gas crisis of 1973 - 74. Batman (especially the TV Batman) is a good citizen. Always looking for ways to make things better. Plus with speed limit going to 55 mph, what more does he need than a good, economical Beetle?

Forgot to mention, the Bat-44, as the conversion was called, came with the Tail Fin, Bathead hood and vinyl bat-hubs decals. Shortly after I bought mine, the seller's website disappeared and I saw nothing more of this kit anywhere on the web. I wonder what happened?

Scott Aho

Edited October 20, 2014 by unclescott58

[peter31a]

Scott, that is just too cool for school! Love the work into this and appreciate the back story. A Beetle Batmobile, whoda thunk it? Kudos!

[cobraman]

Now that's what I call a fin !

[Sixties Sam]

Whoa! Watch out for crosswinds! Very cool and unusual! Nice build!

Sam

[Rob Hall]

That's cool... I always thought the AMT 'Black Force' custom could have made a good basis for a '40s Batmobile.

I recall reading Batman comics and watching a tv animated show in the late '70s, can't recall what the car looked like then, though.

[slusher]

Unique and cool.

[PappyD340]

That's pretty COOL, and got a mini me too!!

[TheCat]

very cool.