1973 "Smooth sided tyres, aqua canopy" |
The distinguishing features of this version include a filled-in nostrils on the bat nose, taillights that are also completely filled in, whizzwheels (8 spokes & balde tyres) and a no-moving exhaust flame, the tail fin tips were shorter than on earlier versions.
The Car
This version is structurally identical to the red tyre version. It differed
only in the color of its tyres (they're black) and it came in a different
box with yellow missiles instead of red. This was the last version to feature
the sort of aqua colored windshield that had been featured since the original
Corgi Batmobile.
1973 - 76 Corgi Batmobile - same as the 1972 red tyres but with black tyres, and for the first time there was a very noticeable difference with the glass. This version was available in blue, purple and white. Curiously, only the purple glass retained the silver beacon cage. The last versions of this type had the white and purple glass. This car, made with white and purple glass to me are the rarest to find today. Batmobile in capital letters on the bottom of the car.
It also occurs to me now that the 73-76 Batmobile with the deep dish wheels and 8 spokes is becoming very rare. I very rarely see these Batmobiles for sale (in fact i see more red tyred versions than this). Since their similarity to the red tyred, you can guess why i'm saying this. All you'd have to do with this version (with aqua glass though) is buy a red tyred thats battered, and change the wheels. The cars themselves are exactly the same, so look for an axle thats protuding out of one of the wheels and damage around the inside of the wheels. Its a sure sign thats its been tampered with.
From about this point on, Batman was molded in a darker blue (as opposed to light blue or grey) and he and Robin were painted less carefully than in previous versions. Among Batmobiles sold on eBay and described as "MIB" (mint in box) these days, this seems to be the most common version available with its original box.
The Box
1973 window box. The rear of this box showed a couple of pictures of a James
Bond Moon Buggy and Aston Martin DB5. This box contained an instruction envelope,
"Batman" owner's badge, and sprue of 12 yellow missiles. Curiously,
the instruction sheet was a cheap black and white photocopy of the original
1966 (purple and black) instruction sheet which showed a pulsating exhaust.
If Corgi wanted to be cheap, it would have made more sense to have included
a black and white photocopy of the instructions for the red tyre Batmobile
since it did not show a pulsating exhaust.
The bat-emblems on the side may be were noticeably thinner on some Aqua version.
1973 Gift Set 3
The Car, Boat and Trailer
Apparently, in 1973, Corgi sold both the "Red tyre" whizzwheel Batmobile
and the standard 1973 black whizzwheel Batmobile. With both of these cars,
the Batboat was still the first version or "tin fin" version and
the trailer was the same as before. See Batboat and trailer description above.
The Boxes
The 1973 red tyre Batmobile and tin fin Batboat were sold as a set in the
1970 style GS 3 box. The red tyre car and tin fin boat MAY also have been
sold in the newer 1973 dark blue and yellow GS 3 box. However, the 1973 black
whizzwheel Batmobile and tin fin boat were only sold as a set in the 1973
style box. The 1973 style GS 3 box featured a couple of James Bond vehicles
on the reverse side. Inside, the box had a white styrofoam insert.
Photograph ©Eric Matheson