Ed "Big Daddy" Roth Celebrated Builder
Every year Detroit honors many who have gone before us and have contributed greatly to our hobby. This year was no different and the rodding celebrity selected was none other than Ed "Big Daddy" Roth for the body of his work.
While it's true Roth may have started as a pinstriper and t-shirt artist at the various car shows it wasn't long before he figured out he could get free both space by having a car. Well, "Big Daddy" was going to do any boring so he put his incredibly creative mind to work and developed cars that were sure to capture peoples imagination and bring them to his booth where he sold his t-shirts.
In honoring Detroit the show promoters scoured the country looking for as many original Roth cars, tribute cars and reproductions of his early work. Centered in well the center of the 600,000 sq. ft. Cobo Hall were 16 Roth inspired rides. There were 12 original cars, two clones and two tribute cars.
Take a look and see if these cars don't bring back some great memories from years gone by.
One of the Roth tribute cars...
One of the Roth tribute cars titled "Futurian" was built by Mark Moriarity in 2005 and is owned by Dave Bengochea of Winnemucca, Nevada. It is carries a traditional Roth touch in the bubble top.
The Outlaw recreation was...
The Outlaw recreation was built recently from a limited edition production kit that was taken from the original mold that still exists today. (The original car resides in the Petersen Automotive Museum.)
Beatnik Bandit is another...
Beatnik Bandit is another of the real Roth cars and possibly the most famous and easily recognized and was built in 1960 and the first of the bubble cars. Later it would gain icon status as it was recreated as a Mattel Hot Wheels to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Hot Wheels.
The Druid Princess is an original...
The Druid Princess is an original Roth car that was built in 1966. It was intended for the television series Adams Family but never aired as the show was cancelled.
Tweedy Pie was built in '57...
Tweedy Pie was built in '57 making it the first Roth car to reach prominence. It had quad headlights well ahead of its time. Look closely at the engine and you will see the famous Rat Fink peeking out of the individual stacks.