No. 186 of 207
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was an American artist, cartoonist, illustrator, pin-striper and custom car designer and builder who created the hot rod icon "Rat Fink" and other characters. Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot rod movement of the late 1950's and 1960's.
Roth created his wild custom show cars like no one else. Ed Roth Cars were not just off-the-assembly-line models modified with body work — they were all unique creations. Roth began his custom car bodies with plaster and then laid fiberglass over the hardened plaster. When the fiberglass was set, he knocked out the plaster underneath with rubber hammers.
He liked the idea that fiberglass as it was very cheap and that it didn't require a lot of training to use, as Roth put it, "It could also be done by people with little or no talent and I had both." Roth used the plaster and fiberglass method throughout his career to create his one-of-a-kind show cars.
Ed Roth’s son Dennis "Little Daddy" Roth designed, built and showed Streetnik Bandit in many car shows including SEMA in 2010. Dennis Roth donated this car to the Martin Auto Museum. The car is named "Streetnik Bandit" and signed By Dennis as “Little Daddy”.
Ed Roth died of a heart attack on April 4, 2001, at the age of 69.
Since his death, the official Rat Fink Reunion has been held in Manti the first weekend in June. The museum that Ilene Roth created to honor her late husband includes displays of Roth's art work and other memorabilia. Roth's son Darryl has been working on collecting and displaying his father's work. Dennis “Li’l Daddy” Roth continues to promote His dad’s wok through Roth Metal Flake. You can follow him on Facebook @RothMetalFlake.
Chevy 350 V-8 engine
Dual four-barrel carburetors with Tunnel Ram
Automatic transmission
Roth's Origins
It all started when the infamous Outlaw and Beatnik Bandit cars came back from the “World of Wheels” tour in 1963. Ed Big Daddy” Roth started painting the cars with metal flake the primitive way; wetting the cars and manually shaking flake through a shoe box, teaching Dennis “Lil Daddy” Roth along the way. Larry Watson gave Big Daddy a pressure pot to shoot flake out of and the rest is friggin’ history! Flake the world!
Roth Reborn
Lil’ Daddy Roth’s wheels were spinnin’ as he worked on the Maxterion, a kustom build that he was creating at the time. He was shaping and grinding on plaster and thought about the good ‘ole days with his dad “Big Daddy” spraying metal flake in resin. What a cool idea to bring it back again and share with the world the positive intensity of metal flake! A quick phone call and into the picture comes Steve to lend a hand and make it happen! The rest is history with the product debut at the L.A. Father’s Day show, two magazine articles on flaking a car and also a lace and flake job too!
Modern & Imports / 1980–Today
More from the collection.
1980 Metro Plumbing Sprint Car
1980 Auburn 866 Boattail Speedster (Replica)
1981 DMC DeLorean
1987 Chevrolet El Camino Custom
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix SE (Daytona 500 Pace Car Edition)
1990 Ford NASCAR "Baby Ruth Car"
1991 Buick Reatta Convertible
1992 Chevrolet Corvette Lister C4
1993 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 40th Anniversary Edition
1994 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
