Discovering a piece of history
the 1966 batboat
The #1 Batboat, the only one with screen credentials from the TV show and Movie.
hidden treasure
Batboat #1 Hiding spot
This is where this piece of history has been waiting for the right person to discover it. Glastron, of Austin Texas manufactured the Batboat. Batboat #1 was the only boat to appear in the TV show as well as the Batman Movie in 1966. At a later date Glastron was allowed to produce a second boat for advertising purposes. There were small manufacturing differences between #1 and #2. Batboat #2 was lost in a fire many years ago.
Floyd Crawley, who was a Glastron dealer in Tyler Texas, was given Batboat #1 in 1975, after asking Glastron about it for many years. He was a Shriner and did not like that it required a truck and trailer to participate in a parade, so he converted the boat to a boat/car. In his defense, you need to remember that in the mid 70’s Batman was not so cool like he is now so no one was that upset with his modifications.
Collecting dust for more than 25 years
Parked here around 1992, after that moved once for its last public appearance at the 2001 Batcon.
On its way to a new home
July 19th, the start of a new chapter in the life of the Original Batboat.
Christmas in july
Opening up the trailer for the first time in more than 20 years. Better than finding a new Schwinn Sting Ray under the tree when you were 10 years old.
Unloading and inspection. Starting to assess the damage that was done with the VW conversion so that the boat could be driven in parades.
oNE LAST DRIVE
We had a little fun with this thing before we started to tear it down. After much repair and a good number of parts, Dicky could not wait to jump in and pilot the original Batboat on dry land. How many people can say that they have done that! It will actually go faster than any smart man would want to drive it. Last hurrah for the boat/car