The Batmobile

If you were a kid in the late 1980s, Tim Burton’s “Batman” movie was huge, like epic beyond any hype films get these days. I still have my die-cast version of the Batmobile, and seeing it in person is a little surreal. Sure, the car makes quite the impact on the screen, but in the flesh it commands attention and respect.

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The Petersen Automotive Museum keeps the cockpit open, so you can see all the controls inside. Driving the Batmobile looks like it’s about as complicated as flying a plane. Other details, like the bat symbols in the wheels, are fun to see up close.

Toyota 2000GT

You can’t see a Toyota 2000GT just anywhere, considering only 351 were made originally, and some haven’t survived. This supercar was a first not only for Toyota, but also for Japan. It proved that the little island nation could compete with the big boys in the automotive industry, and not just make small, economical vehicles.

Aside from being rare, the 2000GT is a gorgeous vehicle. It features clean lines, those classic fender-mounted side mirrors I love, and a panache I wish modern Toyotas had. I can only imagine what it would be like to drive such a car on Silverstone or Road Atlanta, especially after getting so close to one.

Frank Mack T

This car looks cool, because it’s a nice, clean build. But when you learn the story behind it, the coolness factor explodes. Frank Mack was one determined guy, logging 3,000 hours in three years working on this 1927 Ford Model T to make it something more. The only thing he didn’t do on the car without help was the upholstery.

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The customizations include E&J accessory headlights, Dayton wheels, and 3/4-inch nerf bars that Mack fabricated by hand. To see a custom build of this quality and level of creativity pulled off by some guy working in his garage is truly inspiring.

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