Batmobile Myths:Plymouth Batmobile

Claim: Plymouth built a prototype Batmobile for the TV show that was never used.

Status: False

Origin: Contrary to persistent rumors, the "big three" of Detroit had nothing to do with Batman. Product placements weren't like they are today, with auto manufacturers competing for a starring role in a movie or TV series. Instead, the "Plymouth Tornado" pictured above is a one-off custom using a late '50s Plymouth as a starting point. The car would show up from time to time in various automobile publications and web sites, sitting abandoned in a field in Utah for decades with no backstory to go with it. It then gained more widespread attention after a $150,000 restoration and subsequent Red Baron's Antiques auction in November 2006.

Once the press release for the auction came out, most people replaced the "Batmobile" idea with an also-wrong "Concept Car" idea. The Tornado is, for better or worse, a custom car.