The Batpod that carried Christian Bale’s Batman through the Joker chase in The Dark Knight (2008) goes up for auction in London on December 4. Auction house Propstore’s estimate runs from £450,000 to £900,000, so it will take Bruce Wayne money to buy. The machine, which also appeared in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), is Lot 35 and the headliner of Propstore’s Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction. Bidding opens at £225,000. Propstore’s site already shows an absentee bid of £450,000, matching the low estimate.

Six Batpods were built for The Dark Knight. Director Christopher Nolan and production designer Nathan Crowley conceived the machine, and Crowley earned Oscar and BAFTA nominations for his work on the film. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, an Oscar winner for Inception, built the Batpods with his team. Nolan wanted his action done for real, in front of the camera, so the Batpod had to be a working motorcycle.

Honda Power Under the Fiberglass

Beneath the metallic gray fiberglass bodywork is a 449cc single-cylinder engine from a Honda CRF450X dirt bike, in a custom-made chassis rolling on 31-inch Hoosier racing tires. Little about the layout follows production motorcycle practice. The radiator and hydraulics sit behind the seat, the exhaust is built into the frame, and the brakes are operated by a control on the left grip and a pedal on the right.

The two cannon barrels jutting from the front are made of plastic, resin, and fiberglass. A laser targeting unit is mounted above the right grip. The Batpod measures about 12 1/2 feet long, nearly 4 feet wide, and 3 1/2 feet tall.

Riding it is another story. The rider lies nearly prone, resting on a padded seat and knee supports, and steers with his shoulders instead of his hands. French stunt rider Jean-Pierre Goy did most of the on-camera action.

What sets this example apart is the proof that it is on screen. Propstore matched it to the Joker chase, in which Batman breaks free of his wrecked Tumbler on the Batpod, through distinctive marks and scratches along its right side. Propstore also places it in The Dark Knight Rises, where Batman and Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) ride the Batpod against Bane and the League of Shadows. After filming, it went into the Warner Bros. archive and made promotional appearances for both films.

Three Trips to the Auction Block

This is the Batpod’s third time on the block. It first sold through Propstore in September 2016, catalogued as the hero Batpod from The Dark Knight Rises with an estimate of £60,000 to £80,000. Hero vehicles are the most detailed examples, built for close-ups. It sold for £312,000 with buyer’s premium. In June 2023, Propstore offered it in Los Angeles with an estimate of $1 million to $2 million, and it went unsold. Now screen-matched to the first film’s best-known chase, it returns with an upper estimate nearly three times its 2016 price.

Anyone hoping to ride it back to a personal Batcave will be disappointed. The Batpod is sold in non-running, rolling-only condition. Its fluids are drained, and its battery, fuel tank, and throttle controls have been removed. Years of filming and promotional duty show in wear on the body panels, light corrosion on the chassis, and damage to the left gun mount from use on set. It comes with a metal display stand and a Warner Bros. certificate of authenticity.

Viewing and Bidding

The Batpod is on display now in the lobby of The Cumberland Hotel in London through November 29, with private viewings by appointment. Propstore is also holding a public exhibition of highlight lots at the hotel from November 19-22.

Propstore was founded in 1998 by film enthusiast Stephen Lane, who is still its CEO, and grew from a collector’s passion project into an auction house specializing in original props, costumes, and production material from film and television. It works directly with studios and production companies, and has held live auctions since 2014. Propstore runs regular online auctions alongside more than 2000 items offered for immediate purchase at propstore.com.

The Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction runs December 4-6. It covers more than 1400 lots with a combined estimate of £10 million. The Batpod sells on Day 1, which starts at 3 p.m. in London (7 a.m. PST). Day 1 is open to in-person bidding at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London; online, absentee, and telephone bidding are available all three days. Registration is open now at propstoreauction.com, where the full catalog is posted. Estimates do not include the buyer’s premium.

Batman’s Batpod Auction Photo Gallery