My Favorite Concept Car... [PIC]

When I first saw the Lincoln Futura in 1955, I was floored by how cool it looked. It was everything I thought the future would bring. When Revell released their 1/25 model the following year, I bought it, assembled it and kept it for many decades. I stripped it for parts in an attempt to finish a cast resin Batmobile (that's still unfinished after Mattel released their 1/19 diecast). The car was built by Ghia if Italy for a whopping $250,000. Ford wanted to car to be fully operational and gave Ghia their new hand-built 368 cid V8 that would power their Continental Mkll the following year. The engine was coupled to a 3 speed "Turbo-Drive" automatic. The chassis was the Y-shaped backbone perimeter frame that would also be in the Continental Mkll. It was originally finished in a pearlescent with with thousands of crushed fish scales mixed in for the effect. Their presence also gave the 'white' a greenish glow. The car kicked around Ford until it was used in the 1959 movie "It Started With a Kiss" painted red because that white didn't photograph too well. Ford later sold the Futura to George Barris and because the car was untitled, it was also uninsurable so it sat for years in his backlot, moldering away until he got the idea of using it for the 1966 Batmobile contracted by Greenway Productions that gave him 4 weeks to come up with the TV car. When you do a side-by-side comparison with the finished Batmobile you can see how the sheet metal was altered and just how much of the interior and dash remains with just gadgetry add-ons made.