Even greater than the 1st production 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 and even the 1968 Shelby EXP, perhaps the foremost highly-anticipated car to move up for auction at this weekend’s Barrett-Jackson auction was the legendary 1966 Batmobile. Hailed as “the world’s most famed car” by Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson, before the true bidding, some believed the auto was over-hyped, and doesn’t fetch the stratospheric prices predicted for it.

The cynics were quickly silenced once bidding began, with the bids going into the seven figure range presently. The crowds cheered ever more loudly as bidding continued. When the hammer finally came down, the auto fetched $4.2 million dollars before fees. The winning bid was made by Rick Champagne of Ahwatukee, Arizona, CEO of Champagne Logistics. To maintain the joy level high, the Batmobile’s creator, the legendary George Barris, accompanied the auto onto the stage, and offered his personal Batmobile jacket to the winning bidder.

The Batmobile started life as a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that Barris bought from Ford for $1. It was built as a hurry order from the studio with a fifteen-day deadline and a $15,000 budget. Since its original building, Barris has always retained ownership of the automobile.

Although the sum fetched for the Batmobile is impressive, it’s closely matched by the $4.1 million paid for the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 featured within the James Bond movies Goldfinger and Thunderball at an RM Auction in 2010.