By bill freehling

Fredericksburg-area auctioneer John Nicholls was part of automotive and television history during the famous annual Barrett-Jackson car auctions this month in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Nicholls on Jan. 19 helped auction off the original Batmobile from the 1966 television series. The car sold for $4.62 million, the highest price ever fetched for a television or movie car. A 1966 Cobra Super Snake that sold in 2007 for $5.5 million was the only car that has ever sold for more at a Barrett-Jackson auction.

Nicholls, who is president of Nicholls Auction Marketing Group Inc., has been an auctioneer at Barrett-Jackson events since 2004. He said the atmosphere during the Batmobile auction was "like a rock concert." George Barris, who designed and built the Batmobile and continued to own it before this month's sale, was at the auction.

"The top was blowing off the place," Nicholls said. "You're witnessing history take place."

The winning bidder was Rick Champagne, a businessman and car collector from Arizona.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5424
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com