Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Mark Towle is best known to many viewers as the founder of Gotham Garage and a cast member of Netflix’s Car Masters: Rust to Riches. His public story also includes reported work as an entertainment prop maker, a copyright case over Batmobile replicas, and documented parts partnerships behind show builds. Here are 13 sourced facts, with historical claims kept in their proper context.
Mark Towle and Car Masters: Rust to Riches
- Netflix lists Towle among the show’s cast. The official Netflix listing identifies Towle as a cast member of Car Masters: Rust to Riches.
- The series focuses on vehicle makeovers. Netflix describes the Gotham Garage crew as overhauling cars and trucks, a premise that places Towle’s work in the world of ambitious automotive transformations.
- A profile says he rebuilt discarded toys as a child. A 2020 Distractify profile reports that Towle and a friend scavenged broken gadgets and toys and rebuilt them. This is a biographical account from that profile, not an independently verified detail.
- The same profile reports a career in entertainment props. Distractify says Towle worked for years as an entertainment-industry prop maker before creating Gotham Garage. The account connects that reported experience with his later custom work, but does not establish a project-by-project career history.
- His reported projects extended beyond cars. The profile describes his work as spanning custom cars, boats, motorcycles and a helicopter. It does not provide dates or an independently documented inventory of those projects.
The Batmobile replicas and the copyright case
- Two Batmobile versions were central to the case. The Ninth Circuit’s 2015 opinion records that Towle’s Gotham Garage made replicas based on the Batmobile from the 1966 television series and the 1989 film. Read the Ninth Circuit opinion for the court’s account.
- Customers could also buy conversion kits. The opinion says Towle sold kits that allowed customers to modify their cars to resemble those Batmobiles. The case concerned these specific products and designs, not every custom vehicle influenced by popular culture.
- The court opinion gives a historical price of about $90,000. It describes the replicas as selling to collectors for approximately $90,000 at the time covered by the litigation. That is a 2015 court-record figure, not a current asking price, estimate of Towle’s income or price for a present-day build.
- DC Comics filed suit in May 2011. The Ninth Circuit opinion dates the lawsuit to May 2011 and recounts the dispute over Towle’s replicas and kits.
- The district court found copyright protection applied to the Batmobile. The appellate opinion describes the district court’s conclusion that the Batmobile was a character entitled to copyright protection and that DC’s copyright claim in the depicted vehicles succeeded. That procedural history should not be confused with a blanket rule for all custom-car designs.
- The decision is a specific example, not a universal ban. The Ninth Circuit’s decision concerned the particular Batmobile designs and products in the record. It does not establish that any car inspired by a film, television show or fictional vehicle necessarily infringes copyright; the specific protected expression and facts matter.
Documented partners behind Gotham Garage builds
- Speedway Motors supplied parts and technical expertise for show builds. In a July 2022 announcement, Speedway Motors described a partnership supplying parts and technical expertise to Car Masters builds. The announcement also said the company offered more than 250,000 products at that time; that was Speedway’s own 2022 catalog claim, not an independently audited count.
- Towle discussed a Zephyr anniversary project in that announcement. The release quotes him describing the build as a nod to the early days of delivering parts to customers, with “Gotham Garage’s signature flare.” The quotation documents his comments about that project, not the terms of a current commercial relationship.
- A Speedway kit car served as the starting point for a ’32 Ford Roadster build. Speedway Motors reported on October 22, 2024, that its Signature Series ’32 Roadster kit car was the platform for the Gotham Garage build featured in season six. Its 2024 build announcement documents the connection; it does not establish that the exact kit is currently available through any particular retailer.
What the public record does not establish
The cited sources do not establish Towle’s net worth, Gotham Garage’s revenue, the show’s audience size, his current shop status or whether the series will return. Those details should not be inferred from his television profile, the historical Batmobile case or supplier announcements.
Quick Recap
Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 4
Rank #4
Outland Models Miniatures 3-Stall Large Garage for Trucks/Cars 1:64
- This product requires assembly. This model kit may not come with instructions, but assembly is easy if you look carefully at the product photos.
- Material: ABS. Scale: 1:64 scale. Dimensions: 125 mm x 225 mm x 80 mm
Rank #3
KIDAMI Die Cast Metal Toy Cars Open Doors, Pull Back Cars, 5 Pack, Private
- DIE CAST TOY CAR: Set of 5 die cast vehicles, about 1 : 64 scale. New package is 9.4 x 4.2 x 1.7 inches, cars’ approximate size is the same 3.2 x 1.5 x 1 inches
- HIGH QUALITY ALLOY: Made of high-quality METAL and plastic, more sturdy and durable. Rubber wheel will help avoid scratching the floor. The great friction powered design makes it easy to pull back and let go
- OPENABLE DOOR DESIGN: OPENABLE doors and authentic decorations - exquisite details with realistic feeling and looking
- VIBRANT COLORS: Multiple types and vibrant colors will encourage little buddy to develop their imagination while having hours of fun. A great choice for kids and car enthusiasts
- GIFT CHOICE: The package has been changed into newest style
Rank #2
#1 Best Overall
Cars Disney Jeff Gorvette and Pace 1:55 Metal Cars - Set of 2
- Inspired by your favorite characters, these die-cast vehicles help Disney and Pixar Cars fans bring movies to life! Each highly detailed 1:55 scale car features iconic logos, rolling wheels and unique personality accents to help them stand out.
- Kids can experience on-screen racing adventures and laugh with push games, and collectors can create cool exhibits. Find your favorite vehicles to give to a fan or to build your own collection!
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.
