The #4 Batmobile (aka “the Dragster”) was built of fiberglass from molds taken of the #1. It was built in late 1966 on a Ford Galaxie chassis that was lengthened by 11 inches to match the #1 Batmobile. It was utilized for many exhibition & promotional events throughout the U.S. and Canada from 1966-1968
It was also utilized in 1967 for exhibition runs at local dragstrips throughout the U.S. The dragstrips included: Cecil County Dragway, Dover Drag Strip, Motor City Dragway, Lions Drag Strip, Island Dragway, Richmond Dragway, Irwindale Raceway and many others. If you wanted to rent the car for a “driving exhibition” it would’ve set you back around $1,250-1,500 a day.
The car had a high performance Holman Moody 427 cubic inch V-8 engine and was the only copy that shot flames from the turbine exhaust. When professionally driven by “Wild Bill” Shrewsberry, it could run the 1/4 mile in 12 seconds while approaching speeds of 117 mph.
In 1967 at Island Dragway in NJ, “Many youngsters were chosen at random with lucky tickets to ride in either of the two vehicles. This proved very exciting for the selected children, since all were anxious to ride in their hero’s fabulous Batmobile and Batcycle.”
The #4 Batmobile was also briefly seen during “The Contaminated Cowl” Batman episode which aired January 4, 1967.
In 1968, George Barris decided to cover the car in flocking or “Bat-fuzz.” This velvety, fuzzy finish was used on the car as a trendy addition to accent its features. It was accomplished by first spraying the car with epoxy and then spraying it with nylon fibers that were electro-statically applied. Nylon flocking was resistant to dirt, stains and more durable than paint.
In 2015, the car was treated to a full restoration by Fiberglass Freaks and brought back to its glory days of 1967.
The #4 exhibition car is owned by Doug Jackson and is privately located in Austin, TX.
