Ghia Lincoln Futura History

The Lincoln Futura was commissioned by Ford Motor Company and built by Ghia in Turin in 1955, under the leadership of Luigi Segre. A single car was completed: a two-seat open cockpit show car with a distinctive twin-bubble canopy, pronounced tailfins, and concealed headlamps — a rolling expression of Space Age optimism at a cost of approximately $250,000.

Ford displayed the Futura on the auto-show circuit from 1955, where it drew enormous crowds. After its show-car career ended, the car sat unused until 1965, when Ford loaned it to customizer George Barris for a television project. Barris's team converted the Futura into the Batmobile for the 1966 ABC series 'Batman' starring Adam West — the most famous afterlife of any Ghia-built concept car.