Rumoured LEGO ’60s Batmobile feels like a watershed moment for the LEGO Group

A brand new LEGO Batmobile based on the ‘60s TV series is supposedly on the way this year – and it feels like a watershed moment for the LEGO Group as a whole…

76328 Batman: Classic TV Series Batmobile is slated to hit shelves in October – at least according to Brick Clicker – with 1,822 pieces for only $149.99. If ‘only’ feels like it’s doing a lot of heavy lifting there, consider that both of the most recent large-scale LEGO Batmobiles have dwarfed it in both price and piece count: 76240 Batmobile Tumbler debuted in 2021 and now costs $269.99 for 2,049 pieces, while 76139 1989 Batmobile retailed for $249.99 for 3,306 pieces in 2019.

A piece count of 1,822 is certainly enough to make 76328 Batman: Classic TV Series Batmobile distinct from 2021’s minifigure-scale 76188 Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile, but it still sounds way smaller than both of those previous UCS-style Batmobiles. It surely won’t be scaled to 76139 1989 Batmobile, for instance, which would probably cost at least $299.99 if it launched today (given wider price increases since 2019).

Yes, the iconic 1960s Batmobile – as driven by Adam West – is a different beast to Michael Keaton’s more gothic means of getting around, but even without the dramatic Bat-flair that embodied Tim Burton’s interpretation of the Dark Knight’s universe, the size between these two cars isn’t that different. Or at least not different enough to warrant twice the price and nearly twice the piece count for the 1989 version over the ‘60s Batmobile, anyway.

In isolation, you could easily take this as the LEGO Batman theme just trying something different with its giant Batmobiles. But in the wider context of the current direction of the LEGO Group, and its recent financial results, it could be a real watershed moment for the company as a whole.

The LEGO Group last month revealed that sales and growth slowed down in 2023, while profits dropped as the company increased its investments in new environmental initiatives and expanding its supply chain network. CEO Niels B. Christiansen said at the time that while the LEGO Group has sold a greater number of sets, it’s seen a ‘decline in the average price’ of sets being purchased.

“When we look at it, we’ve gotten LEGO sets to more kids, and overall we haven’t seen a decline in the number of sets sold – we’ve seen an increase,” he explained. “But we have in many markets seen a certain decline in the average price, which would kind of hint towards consumers maybe still buying the same amount or more LEGO sets, but maybe buying at slightly lower price points.” 

With all that in mind, it’s tricky to look at the rumoured details around this new LEGO Batmobile and not wonder whether it might be a consequence of that wider shift in shopping habits.

Big LEGO sets are still arriving on shelves pretty regularly in the first half of 2024, but they feel fewer in number compared to 2023, and certainly cheaper: by this time last year we’d already had 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, which weighs in at a whopping £429.99 / $499.99 / €499.99. By contrast, 2024’s most expensive set so far is 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale at £314.99 / $359.99 / €359.99.

There are plenty of expensive LEGO sets rumoured for the rest of 2024 too, most of which were likely already in the works long before the LEGO Group had chance to properly recognise and address a change in buying habits. But perhaps in 2025 we might see the company start to either pull back from such constant releases of expensive sets, or else cut down its top-tier price points altogether. (We’ve still not seen anything reach the heights of 75313 AT-AT since it stumbled on to shelves in 2021.)

76328 Batman: Classic TV Series Batmobile could be the first sign of that change in approach… or it could just be the LEGO Super Heroes team repositioning its larger Batmobiles in line with LEGO Icons vehicles, such as 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine and 10321 Corvette. But with one eye on 76139 1989 Batmobile, you have to feel that the opportunity was there for something matching it in scope, size and scale – and it’s hard to imagine we’ll get that with a $150 set.

Either way, the upshot of 76328 Batman: Classic TV Series Batmobile’s rumoured price is that it should at least be more accessible and affordable than the previous two large Batmobiles. If it emerges as expected – and remember, rumours such as this one should be taken with a pinch of salt until officially confirmed – it will race out of the Batcave on October 1, complete with a Batman minifigure and an info plaque, for $149.99.

For a more immediate LEGO Batman fix, check out 76271 Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City, which debuted on April 1 for £259.99 / $299.99 / €299.99.

LEGO Batman sets confirmed and rumoured for 2024

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