Thanks to everyone who answered the Batmobile Trivia Contest! The contest is now closed; congratulations to grand prize-winner Deane. Here are the answers to the questions:
1) How much did George Barris pay when he bought the Lincoln Futura that would go on to become the Batmobile?
One dollar.
The Futura had an extensive touring schedule from 1955 - 1959, after which it was repainted and used in the film It started with a Kiss. With filming complete, the car faced the same future as most other concept cars: to be left in storage until the space was needed and the car was cut up, used for parts, or simply crushed. The storage facility in this case was Barris Kustoms, and when Fox needed a Batmobile the Futura got a new lease on life. Ford had no interest in the car any more (nor did they want to pay the storage fees, most likely), so Barris took posession of the car. A token monetary amount had to be paid for the car to change hands, which was a mere $1.
2) A few minor changes were made to the car between Batman and Batman Returns. What feature had been added to the Batmobile to help Batman with his winter driving?
Windshield wipers.
The left picture is taken from the scene where the Batmobile enters the cave for the first time, after Batman and Viki Vale escape from the Joker's Goons in Batman. The right picture was taken from the remote control "chase" sequence in Batman Returns. The wipers can also be seen near the beginning of Batman Returns just before Batman gets out of the car.
Other gadgets, like the disc launchers, shinbreakers, and footpad didn't really help or hinder the car's winter driving capabilities.
3) In the Batman: The Animated Seires episode "The Mechanic," a man named Earl Cooper was responsible for the design and construction of the Batmobile. What two real-world automotive pioneers were likely inspiration for his name?
Harley Earl and John Cooper.
Harley Earl was a legendary automotive stylist, and the person who essentially invented the concept car. During his career, his ideas influenced the designs of over 50 million automobiles and introduced the world to concepts like tail fins, wraparound windshields, and clay models. Some of his more famous designs include concept cars like the La Salle, Y Job, Le Sabre, and C1 Corvette. To read more about Earl, visit the official site here.
John Cooper and his father Charles started the Cooper Car Company in the late 1940s, and quickly went on to pioneer some of racing's greatest cars. The Cooper 500 was the first rear-engine race car, a concept that was new at the time but has become the standard design for all F1 cars today. His most famous car, however, is the Mini Cooper and Cooper S. With Cooper's engine and suspension modifications in place, the Mini won the Monte Carlo in 1964, 1965, & 1967 (the cars took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in 1966, but were disqualified because of the headlamps they used). To read more about the Cooper Car Company, visit the official site here.
4) Identify this Batmobile, from a 2006 comic book:
It's Alex Ross' Batmobile from Justice. Specifically, this was taken from a scene inside the Batcave in Justice #5.
5) The 1966 Batmobile made a cameo in a recent movie along with KITT. What was the movie?
The Benchwarmers
Both cars were owned by Mel (Jon Lovitz), a nerd-turned-millionaire who offers to help Gus (Rob Schneider), Richie (David Spade), and Clark (Jon Heder).