William M. Schmidt Papers

William M. Schmidt began working as an automotive stylist in the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company in 1940. By the time Schmidt left Ford in 1955 he had risen to Chief Designer and worked on various Mercury and Lincoln vehicles. He was instrumental in developing the Lincoln Futura concept design that was used as one of the original Batmobiles in the 1960s television show Batman. After leaving Ford, Schmidt moved on to design automobiles and trucks at Packard Motor Car Company and wa...

The William M. Schmidt papers consist of photographs and clippings of various Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Packard and Studebaker automobiles and trucks. The papers include photographs and drawings of the Lincoln Futura concept car used in the Batman television series in the 1960s. There are also examples of custom and specialty designs created in the William M. Schmidt Associates studios for private customers. Researchers should note that a portion of this collection containing design drawings and s...