The Batmobile that Michael Keaton drove in Batman Returns is going up for auction. Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies will sell the screen-used car from Tim Burton's 1992 film on Monday, November 23, 2026, in Los Angeles and online.
Julien's estimates it will bring $5 million to $7 million.
The auction house isn't underselling it. "Considered one of the most historically significant Batmobiles ever offered at auction, this legendary vehicle will cross the auction block for the first time," Julien's said.
A result in that range would set a record for a screen-used Batmobile. The current mark belongs to the original George Barris-built 1966 Batmobile from the TV series, which sold for $4.2 million in 2013, The Drive noted.
What's under the body
The frame is built from two Chevrolet Impala chassis spliced together, and the fiberglass body stretches 19 feet, 8 inches from bumper to bumper, according to Motor1. The Drive says the bodywork was all done by hand.
Power comes from a Chevrolet V8 with a three-speed automatic. Julien's says this car has been matched to most of the film's driving scenes, which makes it the hero car used on camera, not a backup.
The look came from production designer Anton Furst, who created it for Burton's 1989 Batman. Furst won an Academy Award for work on that film, and Smithsonian magazine credits Furst with designing the car's sleek, slender shape to match the Art Deco Gotham City around it. The long nose with its turbine-style intake and the big rear fins carried over to Batman Returns three years later.
In the movie, the car carried rockets, smoke grenades, and body armor, plus arms that swung out from the sides to trip up bad guys. It could also lift itself on a center jack and spin around 180 degrees.
Where it's been
After filming, the car appeared at the movie's premiere and wrap party. It then went into storage, with a stretch on display at the Marconi Automotive Museum, and it still wears its original glossy black paint, Motor1 reported.
The design already has museum credentials. Warner Bros. loaned a Batmobile from the 1989 film to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for a three-year display. The photos in this story show other Burton-era Batmobiles on display, not the car being sold.
The Batmobile headlines a larger sale. Julien's says the auction will add Batman props, costumes, production pieces, and other collectibles, and it marks 60 years of the Batman TV series.
Famous cars keep pulling big money this year. A 1963 Corvette Grand Sport sold for $18.7 million at Monterey Car Week in August. The Batmobile crosses the block on November 23, and you can rate the Impala that gave it a frame on WhipJury.
Sources:
Auction date, partners, and Julien's quote: Julien's Auctions
Estimate, chassis, length, drivetrain, screen-matching, and history since filming: Motor1
The 1966 Batmobile record, hand-built bodywork, and the car's gadgets: The Drive
The 1989 design carrying over to Batman Returns: Robb Report
Anton Furst and the Smithsonian loan: Smithsonian
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: TaurusEmerald (CC BY-SA 4.0), Terry Robinson (CC BY-SA 2.0), and Tokumeigakarinoaoshima (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Jeffrey Wiley has spent more time than he'd like to admit thinking about what makes a car look right. He writes about automotive design, car culture, and the opinions people have strong feelings about. He lives in north Georgia.
