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Original Batmobile Sells For $4.2 Million
Kittenman writes "Rick Champagne, a 56-year-old company owner from Arizona has bought the original Batmobile (dating back to Burt Ward and the '60s) for $4.2 million. He's quoted as saying it 'was a dream come true.' From the article: 'The Batmobile design was based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura, a concept car built in Italy by the Ford Motor Company.
It was the first time that car had come up for public sale since it was bought in 1965 by car-customiser George Barris, who transformed it in 15 days, at the cost of $15,000 (£9,400), into the superhero's famous vehicle.'"
Seriously, how can anyone justify paying 4.5 million for what's essentially a modified 1955 Lincoln? I'm sorry, but if you can afford to pay 4.5 million for a Batmobile, you can afford to pay a full 40%+ share on your top bracket income taxes. Does it strike anyone else as tacky to spend so conspicuously on a curio when so many Americans are still unemployed or underemployed and the economy is just barely limping along at 2% growth per year? Meanwhile the middle class gets socked with a 2%+ hit on the payroll taxes so that the wealthy can continue to buy things like the Batmobile. At least Bruce Wayne was charitable; what has this guy done?