The original Batboat will soon be making waves, again
Chris Dixon, May 2024 Power and Motoyacht
Back in 1966, 20th Century Fox reached out to executives at Austin, Texas based Glastron Boats. ABC’s Batman had been a runaway hit and now a feature length movie was planned. Batman’s crown jewel was the fire-breathing Batmobile—built by the iconic George Barris. Batman’s producers hoped Glastron President Bob Hammond and Designer Mel Whitley might design something as cool as the Batmobile.
With a Glastron Crestflite 174 SuperSport sterndrive, masking tape, cardboard and fiberglass, her build took a mere 31 days. She boasted Bat-Dar, Bat-Radio, Bat-Ray, Bat-Depth-Charges, Bat-Rocket-Propulsion and a Bat-Fin so heavy that her stern wake sank the boat. “So they added ballast, changed the prop, and then were like, ‘okay, she’s operational,’” chuckled her current owner.
The Batboat battled a Polaris sub bearing The Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman, but never became as popular as the Batmobile. “George Barris was a hell of a negotiator,” said the owner. “He was paid $9,000 for the Batmobile. Glastron was paid one dollar. They were not allowed to use the boat in advertising ... or even say they built it. They got screwed.”
VIDEO CLIP OF THE BATBOAT IN ACTION: https://youtu.be/plg2Xe1SATQ?si=3TBC1AVAeyCvwgh6
Thus, the only actual on-screen boat (two hulls were built, and the later hull #2 it seems, burned up) mostly deteriorated on the Glastron lot.
Ultimately a Tyler, Texas dealer named Floyd Crawley was given the boat—but solely for use in Shriner parades. Crawley cut out part of the hull and installed a VW chassis and motor so he didn’t have to trailer it.
Years before Crawley’s death in 2006, the Batboat disappeared into a trailer. But a patient and intrepid Tyler mechanical engineer and businessman knew her location. With patience and dogged determination, he convinced Crawley’s daughter-in-law to cut the lock so they could peer inside. “She goes, ‘I’m not gonna promise the boat’s in the trailer anymore,’” he recalled.
But there she was. And today, that owner is about to undertake the mother of all Bat-Restorations, rebuilding every detail with the help of his son and one of the nation’s top restorers. They plan to strip everything and patch the “VW” hole in the hull with a swatch cut from a donor Crestliner.
Father and son hope to soon show a fully seaworthy Batboat at Comic-Con. They want the public to enjoy her. She’s absolutely not for sale. “My son wants to display the boat. I’m having a hard time finding anything he wants to do with dad. So, this is what I’m gonna do. I chased this boat for 40 years. This is the original. This is it.”
SIDE NOTE: The boat manufacturer also made other famous boats! Glastron now only makes boats for boat clubs and no longer does public sales. The company has been making boats since 1956 and is known for its hull design innovations, including the Aqualift and "SSV" hull designs. Glastron boats have been featured in the 1960s Batman TV show and the James Bond movie Live and Let Die.
This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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