What color was the Batmobile when it first appeared in the Detective Comics in May 1939?

The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman in American comic books published by DC Comics. The Batmobile first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May, 1939), where it was depicted as an ordinary-looking, red car. Housed in the Batcave, which the Batmobile accesses through a hidden entrance, the heavily armored, weaponized vehicle is used by Batman in his campaign to fight crime.

The look of the Batmobile has varied over time, but since its earliest appearances, the Batmobile has had a prominent bat motif, typically including distinctive wing-shaped tailfins. Armored in the early stages of Batman's career, it has been customized over time and is the most technologically advanced crime-fighting asset within Batman's arsenal. Depictions of the vehicle have evolved along with the character, with each incarnation reflecting evolving car technologies. It has been portrayed as having many uses, such as vehicular pursuit, prisoner transportation, anti-tank warfare, riot control, and as a mobile crime lab. In some depictions, the Batmobile is able to be driven unmanned or can be remotely operated. It has appeared in every Batman iteration (from comic books and television to films and video games) and has since become part of popular culture.