Ghia Built X-Car Batmobile?
Here are the facts, the X-car
1955 Lincoln Futura automobile,
Lincoln Futura was designed by
stylists Bill Schimdt and also cool
John Najjar Ferzely who designed
it for Lincoln. Lincoln a division
of the Ford Motor Company, had
it built by Ghia in Turin, Italy by
hand at a cost of $250,000.00. That
is a equal in 2015 of $2,200,000.00.
This had a experimental cockpit
canopy used for a top. The center
slid back like a airplane. The seats
square and low with square pad
inserts. The air vents in the upper
part of the door to cool the rear
brakes. The back had a V trunk
design with the outward-canted
fins which stored the taillights.
It had a chrome V rear cool
bumper with oval bezels as well
as four exhausts in these bezels on
both sides of the bumper. There
were vertical grills in the middle of
the bumper with the license plate
smack in the middle. The trunk
Chevron shaped with the triangle
cut off on top, that had V slats in
the trunk. The bubble top canopy
was held in place by a chrome
bubble top type windshield front
and back. Both the lower edge of
the bubble top frame in the left
door and the right door had a L
shape brace held in with screws.
it was needed to keep a strong fit
in the front side of the bubble top.
It was in the front were the door
shows the windshield frame of the
bubble top on each front side.
I can show you in my pictures of
the Batmobile. After the bubble
top is a circular aerial. The front
bumper was shaped like a oval
football which was filled with cool
vertical bars that curved in the
cavity. The cool headlight buckets
angled forward and down, which
stored the headlights. Then the
headlight buckets make a L
shape on both sides of the nose.
In the middle of these headlight
buckets on both sides was the
beginning of the suicide hood,
which had in gold Futuria. In
the lip of the bumper on the far
ends was two lights for turn
signals. This bumper didn't stop
at the front, no it went from the
front with chrome strips going
to the rear fender wells. This
car had a tight wheel radius in
front.
The engine many people can't
explain this experimental Y-Block
V-8 Lincoln engine that had a side
draft carburetor and air cleaner.
That hump on the back of the hood
is where it was located. Many think
the color was white, but Lincoln had
it in pearl pale blue. The pale of the
pearl blue makes it white. The Revell
model kit shows the color. Now look
at the model kit, designed after the
real X-Car it is pearl pale blue. Look
at the photo of the lady they match.
If you look closely at the car you can
see a pale green hue to it. This is the
true color, many people got it wrong.
The real wheel wells are similar in to
the front. It had wide whitewalls bias
tires. This had dish type hubcaps with a
circular stub.
In 1959 It Started With A Kiss with
Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford
the car was repainted red, because the
pearl pale blue didn't show up well in
film.
For you doubter's, The Ford Motor
Company destroyed more experimental
cars then any other automotive car
companies combined. They were called
X-Cars which many were just clay car
models with no engines. Now Ford -
Motor Company wanted their car the
Lincoln Futura X-Car built by Ghia
back for destruction from George Barris.
George Barris stored cars for Ford for
ten years used in movies. The ugly red
faded Lincoln Futura, George Barris
thought, would be a great car to be
turned into the 1966 Batmobile .
Since George Barris was storing
cars for Ford Motor Company for
years with Lincolns and Mercury
automobiles. It was getting full of
many cars.
Dean Jeffries was the first, at
the contract for building The Batmobile,
using a 1959 Cadillac 1959 with modified
fins, and a Bat nose on the grill, bumper
area with bat hubcaps.
They wanted the car quicker then his
whole work crew could handle. Even
with a full crew, they couldn't do it in
that time frame. So Dean Jeffries asked to
They wanted the car quicker then his
whole work crew could handle. Even
with a full crew, they couldn't do it in
that time frame. So Dean Jeffries asked to
be considered building The Black Beauty.
He turned down The Batmobile.
George Barris was given the contract,
George Barris was given the contract,
and looked over the Lincoln Futura to be
made into the Batmobile. Ford came and
took to car away, then made a identical
took to car away, then made a identical
car. They destroyed the original X-Car now
pale red called the Lincoln Futura from 1955.
They then sold the identical car to George for
They then sold the identical car to George for
$1.00,to build The Batmobile.
He hired Bill Cushenbury, to do the body.
He used a air chisel and went to work,
radiusing the wheel wells, flaring the
fenders, removing the bulky bumper,
chrome strip that went the link of the car.
The Lincoln Futura was a "X-Car";which.
stands for experimental. It wasn't until the
middle of the 1980's they had changed the term,
to Concept Car. ( I have companies letters from
CEO's that say X-Car, only Chrysler called them
Concept Cars.)
I have proof from, old letters from, the factories,
they used the word " X-Car" not "Concept Car".
There was even a cool book Called: " X-Cars"
copyrighted 1971, which has the Lincoln Futura.
Never did they use"Concept Car" term in the
book.
Look at this picture of the Lincoln Futura.
It said George Barris modified it. This is a outright
lie. Bill Cushenbury was commissioned to modify
this car. George Barris paid him. He used a air
chisel after removing the bulky bumper and chrome
side trim. It was Bill Cushenbury who built the cool
Bat nose and radius all four wheel wells with flares
in the fenders. George Barris in 2010 after he had
the Batmobile restored in Antique Ford Restorers
said Bill Cushenbury built the Batmobile. What
did George Barris do on the Batmobile? He was
only working on the chain cutters. Want proof?
Go find: Cars of the Stars Copyrighted 1974. It
has a picture of George Barris working on the
chain cutters. The authors are George Barris and
Jack Scagnetti.
He hired Bill Cushenbury, to do the body.
He used a air chisel and went to work,
radiusing the wheel wells, flaring the
fenders, removing the bulky bumper,
chrome strip that went the link of the car.
stands for experimental. It wasn't until the
middle of the 1980's they had changed the term,
to Concept Car. ( I have companies letters from
CEO's that say X-Car, only Chrysler called them
Concept Cars.)
I have proof from, old letters from, the factories,
they used the word " X-Car" not "Concept Car".
There was even a cool book Called: " X-Cars"
copyrighted 1971, which has the Lincoln Futura.
Never did they use"Concept Car" term in the
book.
Look at this picture of the Lincoln Futura.
It said George Barris modified it. This is a outright
lie. Bill Cushenbury was commissioned to modify
this car. George Barris paid him. He used a air
chisel after removing the bulky bumper and chrome
side trim. It was Bill Cushenbury who built the cool
Bat nose and radius all four wheel wells with flares
in the fenders. George Barris in 2010 after he had
the Batmobile restored in Antique Ford Restorers
said Bill Cushenbury built the Batmobile. What
did George Barris do on the Batmobile? He was
only working on the chain cutters. Want proof?
Go find: Cars of the Stars Copyrighted 1974. It
has a picture of George Barris working on the
chain cutters. The authors are George Barris and
Jack Scagnetti.