George Barris, who created Batman’s original Batmobile, along with scores of other beautifully customised, instantly recognisable vehicles that helped define California car culture, has died at 89.

Barris Kustom Industries spokesman Edward Lozzi said he died on Thursday, following a lengthy illness.

Tributes have been pouring in for the motoring design legend who customised cars for TV shows and films, as well as celebrities such as Burt Reynolds, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

George was still in high school in Northern California when he designed his first fully-customised car, a 1936 Ford.

Batmobile
The Lincoln Futura which was customised to create a Batmobile in 1966. It took George and his team of 10 around three weeks to do the job (AP)

Soon afterwards he formed Kustoms Car Club and went to work in earnest with his brother Sam.

Over the next 70 years he would design hundreds of cars for television shows, movies and celebrities. He also became a pioneer in creating miniature plastic models of those cars.

Batmobile
Adam West, played Batman in the 1960s ABC series, sits in the original Batmobile (AP)

Two of the most famous were the Batmobile, created for the 1960s Batman TV show, and The Munsters Koach, built for the TV’s The Munsters.