George Barris, the custom car designer who created the Batmobile for the 1966 Batman TV show, was rightfully nicknamed the “King of the Kustomizers.” With a lifelong passion for automobiles, he and his older brother Sam started customizing cars when they were kids, beginning with a 1925 Buick. The pair learned about body work by frequenting body shops in Sacramento, California after school.

After World War II they started a business, which drew the attention of Hollywood. Soon they were customizing cars for movies and for celebrities.

As the famous story goes, he bought a 1955 Lincoln future concept car from Ford for only $1 then customized it into the Batmobile in 15 days, using a budget of $15,000. After the show ended, Barris bought the long, impressive car and displayed it at his North Hollywood custom car shop. In 2013 the original Batmobile sold for $4.62 million.

In addition to creating the Batmobile, he also made cars for North by Northwest, The Time Machine, The Munsters, and The Beverly Hillbillies.