Prowling the dark and dangerous streets of Gotham requires an ample amount of muscle as well as an eye for style. The sleek art deco inspired Batmobile from the 1989 TIm Burton film may seem smooth and curvy with a Round nose, but any joker that steps out of line will soon be battling an array of military gadgets -- spherical bombs and batdiscs launched from the sides, chassis-mounted shinbreakers, fender-mounted M1919 Browning machine guns, oil slick dispensers and smoke emitters, and the iconic flaming exhaust after-burner as it speeds away at 300 mph. Na na na na na na na na...

Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Washington, DC

01.10.20