1991 AFL grand final Batmobile for sale
The automobile that carried Angry Anderson around Waverley Park at the grand final between Hawthorn and West Coast Eagles is up for grabs, attracting serious bidding.
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Almost 30 years after it entered the annals of AFL grand final entertainment infamy, the Batmobile that ferried Angry Anderson around Waverley Park is for sale.
More than 100 bids have come in on eBay, pushing the price past $20,000.
The seller describes the vehicle as the “famous 1991 grand final AFL batmobile in running condition’’.
The online auction ends tomorrow.
The blue Batmobile was front and centre of the halftime entertainment at the 1991 grand final between Hawthorn and West Coast Eagles, carrying singer Angry Anderson and running champion Robert de Castella around the ground.
“To most of the 75,000-odd who attended, the Rose Tattoo lead singer’s inept act has only been outmatched by Meat Loaf’s woeful wailing in 2011,’’ the Herald Sun’s Chris de Kretser wrote in 2015.
For the past seven years the Batmobile has been kept in a factory in Campbellfield owned by Nathan Young.
Young bought it from his friend Michael Monaghan but he said it was taking up space and it was time to sell.
Young said there had always been great interest in the Batmobile, a 1970 VG Valiant Coup.
“It’s a talking point … when any visitors come into work they say, ‘Gee, is that the batmobile from the grand final?’,’’ he said.
“We rolled it out the other week and got it going with a new battery and cleaned it up, and the guys at work said, ‘We could use the space, what do you think, you still want to keep it?’
“And I thought, well, what am I going to do with it. I came by it late in the piece.’’
He said Monaghan bought the vehicle when it was run down, and had restored it. It made several appearances on The Footy Show.
Young said he was unsure how much the Batmobile was worth.
“Let the market run. I had no idea if it was worth $500 or $20,000,’’ he said.
“It wasn’t a monetary thing for me, more an enjoyment thing. My kids have sat in it and started it. For them it’s a funny story.’’
Cricket commentator Adam Collins, a Hawthorn supporter, took to Twitter on Sunday night saying that at $1600 he was the highest bidder.
He said he tried to buy the Batmobile when it was on eBay in 2007.
“Outbid for now and that’s fine – it’s gonna be a long week with plenty of twists and turns,’’ he said. “A syndicate is in operation of those who understand why this is important.’’