Re: Hot Toys Batman 1989: 1/6th scale Batmobile Collectible Vehicle - Specs & Pics
If this blueprint of 21.16' is correct, then the Hot Toys scale is short.
21.16' = 21' 2" = 254"
254"(1/6) = 42.3" (Hot Toys' length is 39")
Now the height of the Hot Toys 1/6 scale model coincides with the blueprint's 4.43'.
4.43' = 4' 5.25" (roughly) = 53.25"
53.25"(1/6) = 8.9" (Hot Toys' height is 9")
39 inches is a 1/6 scale model of 19' 6" vehicle, which in 1:1 scale, is 1' 7" shorter.
I took the blueprint images and layered the photos on top to see the difference. There's a lot of things that are off I don't know where to begin!
Yes a lot of details are off when you overlay the Hot Toys Batmobile with photos of the car or the official blueprints. It is taller on the sides, and the overall shape of the rear fenders are too boxy, plus the fins do not have enough curve to them. However, there are several things worth noting:
1. The "official" blueprints have to be taken with a big grain of salt. They are more promotional images / movie prop images (for the Penguin scene) than hard and fast schematics. Don't believe me? Try lining up the top view with the side view. The official blueprint contradicts
itself.
2. In at least one "official" measurement of the actual prop car from the filming of Batman in 1989, it's length is given as 19ft 6ins (5.9m) and it's width is given as 8ft (2.4m). [source: "Batman: The Official Book of the Movie, 1989 by John Marriott, pg 74]. Marriott was at Pinewood Studios during the filming, and had total access to the cast, sets, and prop departments for writing this book. According to these dimensions the HT Batmobile length and width is
exactly in scale.
3. As I've noted before, in addition to the above "official" sources (promotional blueprint, Marriott's behind-the-scenes book), there are other seemingly legitimate sources that say the Batmobile is even longer. The longest measurement listed on an official piece of merchandise is 260.7" on the original AMT/Ertl 1/25 scale model kit, with a width measurement of 94.4".
Let's assume these measurements are correct. 260.7" L / 94.4" W puts the Batmobile's Length to Width ratio at 2.76.
There is not one single Batmobile model in existence with this ridiculously long length to width ratio.
Here are the L and W dimensions and length to width ratios of a few "scale" Batmobile models ranked from longest to shortest ratio:
1. RichMan Toys "1/10 Scale" Radio Controlled Car: 20" L (not counting protective bumper addition) / 7.875" W = Length to Width ratio of 2.5396...
2. AMT/Ertl "1/25 Scale" model kit: 9.375" L / 3.7" W = Length to Width ratio of 2.5337...
3. Hot Wheels "1/18 Scale" Die Cast: 11.375" L / 4.5" W = Length to Width ratio of 2.5277...
4. Hot Toys "1/6 Scale" Collectible: 39" L / 16" W = Length to Width ratio of 2.4375
5. Toynami Cinemaquette "1/8 Scale" Prop Replica: 29" L / 12" W = Length to Width ratio of 2.4166...
Out of all of these models, Hot Toys has
almost the shortest proportion, but even the longest model on this list is no where near the ridiculously long 2.76 ratio. How could so many model manufacturers with access to the real car get it
so wrong every time?
Unless they didn't. The average length to width ratio of all of these models is 2.4910... Since so many model makers came up around this ratio, it is the most likely correct one.
And what happens when you plug in this ratio 2.4910 to the 94.4" width to get the length? You get a Batmobile that is 235.1504" long. At 1/6 that is 39.1920....
The Hot Toys Batmobile is the correct length.