George Barris, the car designer who created the iconic 1966 Batmobile for the Batman television series, has died, according to a Facebook post written by his son, Brett Barris. Barris was born in Chicago in 1925 but he moved to northern California as a child, graduating from San Juan High School in Citrus Heights (near Sacremento). Barris made a name for himself when he moved to Los Angeles after World War II, launching Barris Kustom Industries with Sam.
Barris began building model cars and customizing at an early age.
Barris married Shirley Nahas in 1958. They had two children, a daughter Joji and a son Brett.
It was built for $15,000, though Barris purchased the Futura for $1. Barris kept the car in his personal collection and in 2013 sold the car at auction for $4.6 million.
References
Batmobile Creator George Barris Dies
Batmobile Creator George Barris Dies at 89
Custom Car Creator Behind 1960s Batmobile Was 89