Honda Parts Are In The Batmobile From 1989's Batman & You Didn't Even Notice
Many of us have fantasized about driving the Batmobile from the 1989 big-screen adaptation of "Batman," but if you've ever been behind the wheel of a Honda Civic, you could say that you have — sort of. That's because a key component of the Honda car makes up one of the most iconic features of Bruce Wayne's high-tech vehicle. In fact, the production team behind the blockbuster film used parts from several different vehicles to construct the 1989 Batmobile.
The car, which officially debuted in 1941 in Detective Comics #48, has been depicted in pop culture in many different ways, from Adam West's Lincoln Futura to the massive military-style Tumbler seen in the "Dark Knight" trilogy to the stripped-down muscle car in the 2022 reboot starring Robert Pattinson. However, the Batmobile is perhaps mostly known for the sleek and streamlined, retrofuturistic design seen in the 1989 Tim Burton film, starring Michael Keaton.
"Batman," which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, was a massive box-office hit that single-handedly changed the way Hollywood markets its franchises. In addition to director Tim Burton's dark, gothic tone, Jack Nicholson's iconic performance as the Joker, and a bunch of wonderful Bat-gadgets we wish we had in real life, the Batmobile was a key part of that film's marketing and success. It appears in several scenes in the film, including a raucous chase scene through the streets of Gotham, and appeared heavily in its advertising. Despite being in the spotlight, most people probably have no idea that one of the coolest cars ever put to film is part Honda Civic.
The Batmobile is part Honda, part Ferrari, part bus
The designers tasked by Warner Bros. and Tim Burton to design the Batmobile for "Batman" built the fully-drivable machine around a Chevrolet Impala chassis, although they made many, many modifications – using parts from various different other vehicles. The round tail lights, for example, came directly from Ferrari. Adding to its quirkiness and unique nature, the gas cap for the Batmobile was borrowed from a London bus, of all things. And the Batmobile doesn't just incorporate car parts — it also takes inspiration from fighter jets.
When it came time to design headlights for the Batmobile, one of the key designers took inspiration from his wife's car — a Honda Civic. While its headlights may not necessarily be one of the coolest features of a Honda Civic, turning them upside down created a look that blended well with the sleek, Gothic design of the car — evoking the narrow slits of Batman's shrouded eyes. One note from Tim Burton was that the headlights should be yellow to better fit the aesthetic he was trying to achieve. His crew complied and painted the upside-down Civic headlights yellow.
Of course, if the Batmobile existed in real life and all those fun gadgets and features we've seen on screen actually worked, it would probably cost millions of dollars to build. For those of us who don't have Bruce Wayne's bank account, we'll probably have to settle for just the Honda parts.