Inkmobile

thumb|Prototype merchandising of the Inkmobile. Note the lack of lateral symmetry, which the car always posessed in the series.The Inkmobile is a highly modified Volkswagen beetle that has served, intermittently, as the primary mode of transport for Inkblot and Rorschach. It was developed by Dan Driedberg, ostensibly to help Inkblot in his hunting down of the Short Man Gang in a filler arc, but, truth be told, the car was designed solely to be sold in comic book and collector shops.
== The Merchandise ==
The toy had a very limited production run, as the company producing them underwent a radical internal reorganizational proccess, and only a single unit of the cars, plus a few low-quality prototypes, were ever made.
The toys measure around six inches long, and are made of plastic with die-cast hubcaps, mirrors, and bumpers, and rubber tires. Each car has a slightly different pattern of inkblots--no two are identical--but, unlike the few surviving prototypes, each individual item has appropriate symetrical design.
About two years ago, one of the toys made it onto eBay, and was sold for over $9000, making it one of the most sought-after collectible items in all of geekdom.
== In the Story ==
The car was first used by Inkblot shortly after the Five Minutes to Midnight storyline. The writers needed a bit of a breather, and the executives were trying to work out the next big event, so a simple filler arc was thought up, and the merchandising deal was cut because the editor's cousin ran the dying toy company.
Basically, the arc consisted of Inkblot chasing after the remnants of the Short Man Gang that had antagonized him shortly after his first appearance. He drove the vehicle across town in one twelve-issue car chase, and the whole story wrapped up in about three pages, with a disappointing dock fight.
The car appeared later on, after the Red Star Over New York storyline, where Rorschach was seen driving it away from Inkblot's funeral. The car appeared to have spoilers in this appearance, which suggests that Nite Owl is still working on it.
Generally speaking, the car is not particularly fast, but it has four sub-machine guns, mounted above each light, and a small rocket launcher on an articulated turret located under the back seat. it is also coated with the same Manhattan-developed resin as the Iron Owl Armor, which makes the vehicle almost radar-invisible and nearly indestructable.