Short Hostory of the Corgi Batmobile
Corgi Batmobile History 1966 – 1979.
This is not an exhaustive history, but covers the major changes to the car. All Corgi 267 Batmobiles were made at the Mettoy plant Swansea South Wales UK.
The first Corgi 267 Batmobile was first produced in October 1966 it was painted matt black and had wheels with red bats on gold hubs. It is known as the 'red-hubs' Batmobile and was produced for about 6 months.
The next type/version/edition 2 was identical to the 1st except that it was gloss black in appearance (same box and accessories). Shortly after this Corgi designed the Batboat (Corgi no. 107); this was on a trailer that was supposed to attach to the rear of the Batmobile.
Immediately there was a snag as there was no way to attach the trailer to the back of the car. To get around this Corgi quickly made a black plastic trailer coupling that pushed on over the Batmobile’s exhaust, these plastic trailer couplings are now very very rare as they more often got broken or lost.
Corgi realised that they needed a more permanent way of attaching the boat to the car and developed the tow-hook Batmobile. This was the 3rd version and subsequent Batmobile variants were fitted with a tow hook.
For the 1973 version 4 Corgi stopped using rubber tyres and swapped to hard plastic smooth sided Whizzwheels on chrome 8 spoked hubs the rare red tyre Batmobile is a version 4.
The introduction of the Whizzwheels also meant the beginning of the end of the rear suspension however the front suspension still remained. Another casualty of these wheels was the jet turbine flame from this point on it didn't go in and out.
Version 5 (1974??) only differed by having different tyres they showed tread on the side walls.
The 1976 version 6 had different 12 spoke chrome hubs with the similar tyres as version 5. Also it had a raised inscription on the base saying: " BATMOBILE" and "National Periodicals Publications, Inc".
Corgi went on to make a wide-wheeled version 7 until 1981.
I haven't mentioned canopy colour so far as this is where things can get more confusing and the above is enough to identify most Batmobiles but not this one.
Typically version 4 and 5 Batmobiles could be found with the common blue screens but they were also made with clear screens. The version 6 Batmobiles is almost always found with a blue screen only.
Hope this helps please if I am wrong on anything or missed anything out drop me a line.
