Holy Hubcaps, Batman! - DFW Elite Toy Museum is Home to Caped Crusader's Car

    /24-7PressRelease/ - DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX, September 02, 2008 - From 1966 until 1968, television viewers tuned in each week to see Batman and Robin fighting crime in Gotham City. Many aspiring superheroes tuned in hoping for a glimpse of the Batmobile - one of the most iconic and recognizable cars in television history.

Today, Batman fans can get more than a glimpse of the dynamic duo's famous car by visiting DFW Elite Toy Museum.com. The Dallas-Fort Worth toy museum has recently acquired a one-of-a-kind model of the Batmobile.

Batman trivia buffs may already know that the original Batmobile started as a 1955 Futura concept car from Ford's Lincoln division. Famed car customizer George Barris paid Ford one dollar for the Futura and transformed it into the Batmobile.

The model Batmobile at DFW Elite Toy Museum.com measures three feet long and is faithful to the television show's original right down to the fire extinguisher inside the cockpit.

"I've seen people who have had full-size replicas [of the Batmobile] built, but I've never seen anything like this," says Clay Cross, a Batman fan and collector from Fort Worth. "I do quite a bit of collecting and keep up with what's out there - and I have never seen a model Batmobile of this quality."

"The first thing you notice is its size, and then how realistic it is," he says. "Every detail of this Batmobile is perfectly to scale. It really is amazing - you just want to jump in and drive it!"

The model bears the Batman insignia on the doors and wheels and has the red interior of the 1960s-era car. Later movie versions of the restyled Batmobile featured a basic black interior.

Although not much is known about the origins of this particular model Batmobile, DFW Elite Toy Museum curator Rodney Ross believes that it is a one-of-a-kind unsigned and unlicensed toy created by a fan of the original Batman television program.

"This Batmobile is something you have to see to appreciate," Cross says. "For anyone who watched Batman and Robin on television - this toy will bring back some fond memories."

The Batmobile, along with the other rare toy cars, is on exhibit at DFW Elite Toy Museum at 5940 Eden in Fort Worth. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with weekend hours by appointment. Admission is free. In Fort Worth, call 817.838. RENT (7368); in Dallas call 214.247.4700. For more information about the toy museum, visit them online at http://www.dfwelitetoymuseum.com.

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