TERRY SMITH heads back to his childhood and reminiscences about the caped crusader.
Earlier this year Scalextric released a wonderful model of the 1966 TV series Batmobile. This got me thinking about the diecast models produced by Corgi when it was first seen on our screens. It turns out there were quite a few different versions of the model produced throughout the years. Introduced at the height of 'Batman Fever', the Corgi version of the Batmobile, was released, with the first edition available between 1966 and 1967.
First released in October 1966 the earliest versions were produced in a semi-gloss finish with no towbar.
Back in 1966, the ABC television network launched a series that would capture the imagination of many a young wannabe hero and that series was of course Batman. With the ‘Pows’ and the ‘Biffs’, the show was full of cartoon capers and fun. It was an instant success, and many toys and memorabilia were produced, including the Corgi diecast model of the Batmobile itself.
A mint condition first edition with all the period packaging will certainly come with a heavy price tag.
The original model, like the James Bond Aston Martin also from Corgi, was packed with detail and operating features. It came with a nose mounted chain cutting blade which snapped down with a push of a button on the model’s sill, as well as a pulsating flame that moved as the car was pushed forward. Most importantly of all, to many parents dismay, it also featured a functional rocket launcher with a supply of plastic rockets too.
You have to watch out for reproductions of items such as this original sticker that came with the early Batmobile models, as these can easily lead to confusion on the age of a model.
The model reference '267' reappeared many times over the years but with subtle changes, however it is the first edition shown here which is the most collectable, and of course the most valuable. How valuable? Well, you are not going to find one mint boxed for a few hundred pounds anymore as prices now reach up to four figure sums, and while later versions are also fetching good prices, how do you spot the first issue?
Period advertising for the Batmobile from the 1966 Corgi catalogue.
The first thing you would notice is that the packaging was different. If you look at all the releases you will notice the differences between the early box and subsequent releases, but the car inside differed too. Things to look for are that the first releases were painted in a semi-gloss finish and the bubble canopy was moulded in a solid blue. As well as instructions and rockets (which were either in either red or yellow plastic) the early release also came with a secret Batman sticker that owners could place behind their shirt lapels, enabling them to pretend they were Bruce Wayne himself. Finding an unused sticker is almost impossible and certainly adds a lot of value to the car.
Produced up to 1983 the later models came with plastic 'whizz-wheels' and not the rubber tyred Bat-motif alloy hubs of the original.
Perhaps the biggest difference on the very early cars was that when introduced in October 1966 the model came without a tow hook. This was incorporated as part of the exhaust nozzle in 1967 and the car was then released with a gloss black finish. It is incredible that while they were produced up to 1983 with almost five million being made, they command so much money today. That said, do remember these were ‘toys’ when they were released and were usually well played with. Finding a mint boxed early car with all the packaging intact is very hard over half a century on, so if you have one of these sitting in a box in the loft why not have a look and see if you could be sitting on your own fortune?