1976-79 Corgi Batmobile, black tyres, whizzwheels 12 spoke hubs.
"Batmobile" on the bottom :

The distinguishing features of this version include a filled-in nostrils on the bat nose, taillights that are also completely filled in, news whizzwheels (12 spokes & notch tyres) and a non-moving exhaust flame, the tail fin tips were shorter than on earlier versions.

The Car

This version is identical to the standard 1973 version except for a clear canopy (or windshield) and 1976 style whizzwheels.

1976-79 Corgi Batmobile - now made with 12 spoke whizzwheels, Robin very small, no instruction envelope, available in blue, white and purple glass. The other main change was to the bottom of the Batmobile, which now had National Periodicals on the bottom. All versions before this just had Batmobile on the bottom. There are versions of this car that had Batmobile on the bottom, and they happened with the white and purple glass. Which were the first to have the new styled wheels... When the blue glass later followed, it had National Periodical on it.

From 76, they had national periodical on the bottom, instead of Batmobile. Some 76 whizzwheels do still have the word Batmobile on instead of national periodical, and this occurs mainly with the white glass and purple glass. Corgi had spare bins around that they used the parts of when they had run out, this is why this mistake occurred for a few hundred Batmobiles Batmobiles, with different windshields, occurred because of a mistake in the dye. Purple was too much dye, white they simply forgot to put dye in. This error occurred just twice, in 1975. Once with the purple, once with the white. They had literally thousands of them so had to run with them. This stopped in 77, when they had used up all of the purple and white glass and then went back to using the blue. Normally, this fault would have been rejected, but there were simply too many of them to chuck away. They ran with them simply because of cost cutting. which is why the Batmobile changed so much over the years.

From 1976 though, no instructions or badge were included with the car, you had to make do with a diagram on the back of the box instead!!! Cost cutting by Corgi!!

The Box

Unknown. The 1973 or 1976 GS 3 and 267 window boxes are all possibilities for both of these versions.

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