Batman Returns Tim Drake Robin.
The New Batman Adventures Robin.
The menacing Mothmobile!
The Mothmobile, driven by the not so threatening Killer Moth, is unique in that it is a three wheeled vehicle, with only one wheel at the rear.
All the Corgi releases had an "action feature" of some sort and the Mothmobile is no different: If you push down on the front end, the wings pop out.
The really amazing thing about this series is that they spared no expense. Often toy companies make lower level characters out of existing parts and kind of cobble together an extra, but not true with Corgi. The wheels are even unique all the way down to their Mothcaps. (I wonder how history would have been different had Jason Todd tried to steal those. Get on it, Grant Morrison!)
You can see why it's a three-wheeler, as the rear end tapers to a point.
Even gaudy Killer Moth is well represented piloting his kooky ride!
Because that's exactly what it is!
My Grandpa was born in Germany, and this book came from him after one of his last trips there. I remember him promising to take me to Germany one day. He died shortly after that.
Anyways, back to the book. It is copyrighted 1977 and was written by Carlsen Verlag. There is a story, which I can't read, and multiple bays which I can have fun with!
There's tons of detail and even little paper figures, for hours and hours of Fahrvergnugen fun!
These guys work on everything from compact cars to trucks to Ferarris! Even the crane slides back and forth across the beam. It also used to have a little paper cutout of some stuff to hang from it, but I lost that piece or it tore or something years and years ago.
"Hey Mr. Goodwrench, can someone look at my car? It idles as if the carber-whoozit isn't flowing to the manifoldoohickey...or something."
"Maybe if I hide my lunch in here no one will steal my twinkie."
"Hey baby, wanna go for a spin? I got twinkies."
"Well now here's your problem...the engine is in the trunk! Whew, that was a tough one! Now for lunch - where's Jenkins' twinkie?"
*PWING!* *PWING!* *GURGLEGURGLE*
You can even set a toy car on the stands. Now that's German engineering - pop-up book style!
Each panel is separated by a "wall" with doors or windows - so you can watch in case the mechanic tries to screw you. Or eat your twinkie.
"Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon? No? What about a twinkie?"
Auf Wiedersehen!
When I started collecting Batmobiles almost twenty years ago, if someone would have said a toy company would someday make this car I'd have laughed in their face.
Yet a couple years ago Corgi did exactly that.
Part of the now defunct Corgi Batmobile series that ran through the early 2000s, this car represents the "proto-Batmobile" if you will.
An unassuming but "specially built, high powered" car for Batman to cruise town in, this red sedan is the predecessor of all Batmobiles to follow. A non-descript red sedan was first driven by Batman in Detective comics #27 (Batman's first appearance) and this toy is based on specific drawings from Detective #30, which presented the vehicle in a slightly more stylized fashion.
Driving this car would have allowed Batman to blend in with Gotham traffic and move with stealth from one side of town to another. Unlike every gaudy (but oh so cool) Batmobile to follow in the past seventy years.
In true Corgi fashion, this appx. 1:43 scale car has a few bonus features too, including opening driver...
... and passenger doors...
...as well as an opening trunk...
...with a spare Bat-Tire in case of a Bat-Flat!
This car is simply gorgeous.
The long front end reminds me of all those old cartoon gags. I can see Batman pulling up to the mob hangout, and the front end of the car keeps going and going and going until it pauses to show a sign hanging from it: "Monotonous, isn't it?"
I still can't believe this car was made into a toy, and wish the Corgi Batmobile line had kept going and going and going.
My love for Batman..."monotonous, isn't it?"
