Ed "Big Daddy" Roth created some amazing custom-made vehicles in his day, not to mention the iconic RAT FINK character and all those crazy T-shirts... but what's your favorite car that he built?

The Mysterion?

The Orbitron?

The Outlaw?

The Surfite?

The (original) Beatnik Bandit?

The Beatnik Bandit II?

The Road Agent?

...or something else?

I think I'd have to go with the Mysterion, which we actually got permission to include on the show poster for my old radio show, The Wayback Machine.

God, I had a full color Rat Fink shirt as a kid and it was way out, too bad it was killed by the washer. That guy left so much stuff in my brain, it's sometimes hard to think RNR DRAWING without his influence.

I Love all those cars, I'd wish the roads were filled with them.

KOPPER: Bad ass poster for your Radio show there, don't know, how I didn't pick up on that??

I would say the Road Agent and The Mysterion!  The Reverbians have a song about the Mysterion.  

I drive a candy yellow, dual engine bubble top 'glas machine

It's got white wall meats in the back makin' it look mean

I gotta Rat Fink by my side

I'm gunna take it out for a ride

in my

M-Y-S-T-E-R-I-O-N

in my

M-Y-S-T-E-R--O-N

There's a  solo...

Ridin' low to the show

watchin' everybody break their neck

I get a kick watchin' everybody say "WHOA WHAT HE HECK?!"

AH YEAH...now don't ya know this thing ain't no sloth....

It's a weirdo by Big Daddy Roth!.....it's a 

M-Y-S-T-E-R-I-O-N!

What's it called?!

It's a M-Y-S-T-E-R-I-O-N!

Fuckin' Reverbians!

Thee Cormans too...gawt dammit man!!  and whiskey on a friday night fuckers yeah!!!

But...The Druid Princess is pretty bas ass...and Cptn. Pepis' motorcycle and zeppelin repair truck is awesome....I can go on & on...

I love the Tri-Bubbletop shot. I have yet to see these cars with my own eyes.

Mike said:

Bubblicious! A pic from yesterday's Long Beach Motorama. Great to see The Beatnik Bandit, Mysterion and the Orbitron all in the same room. Also with them but not pictured, Roth's Tweedy Pie T-Bucket

 

Bubblicious! A pic from yesterday's Long Beach Motorama. Great to see The Beatnik Bandit, Mysterion and the Orbitron all in the same room. Also with them but not pictured, Roth's Tweedy Pie T-Bucket

 

Though I love T-Buckets, The Orbitron is the best.  The front lights are like old sci-fi laser cannons and the car looks like it could fly through space.

HRR - I think I've seen a black & white photo of this shop car with flames on it that looked great. Can't find it with a simple google search though. It's in one of my books I believe.

Some day I will build a clone of this car. So bad ass.

ELpollacko said:

My favorite Roth car, although I do enjoy them all is his personal 55 Chevy.

 

He pulled the engine out of this to make the Orbitron and stuffed a Chrysler HEMI in it!

My favorite Roth car, although I do enjoy them all is his personal 55 Chevy.

 

He pulled the engine out of this to make the Orbitron and stuffed a Chrysler HEMI in it!

Mike said:

I was under the impression that it was still owned by Aaron Grote. So I assume it didn't sell on ebay?? Great looking custom and even has air conditioning hidden somewhere in there. Made to be driven.

Yeah, he did sell it at the Barrett Jackson this year. And it is meant to be driven. Here it is before he got it running, that's me and my truck pulling it back to the trailer. And a video of Aaron patrolling the corn fields. There are pictures floating around the web with playboy bunnies crawling all over it too.

The Beatnik Bandit has been my fav since I was a kid. Mysterion and Orbitron are right up there too.

The Mysterion and The Yellow Fang are awesome!! Ed Roth is the king!

The Surfite of course!

Call me a philistine but I have to say I prefer the shoebox ('49 Mercury?) in the background of this pic to any of the Roth creations. Now that is MY kind of car! One day...

Mike said:

Lutz Vipinderwoman said:

The Road Agent...why not put more up there, but I'd prefer it look more like this..... http://www.funzug.com/index.php/cars/ed-roth-inspired-bubbletop-hot...

Sorry, off topic I know, but

I got to see that Atomic Punk bubbletop in person last December and January at two different shows out here in California. I was under the impression that it was still owned by Aaron Grote. So I assume it didn't sell on ebay?? Great looking custom and even has air conditioning hidden somewhere in there. Made to be driven.

Lutz Vipinderwoman said:

The Road Agent...why not put more up there, but I'd prefer it look more like this..... http://www.funzug.com/index.php/cars/ed-roth-inspired-bubbletop-hot...

Sorry, off topic I know, but

I got to see that Atomic Punk bubbletop in person last December and January at two different shows out here in California. I was under the impression that it was still owned by Aaron Grote. So I assume it didn't sell on ebay?? Great looking custom and even has air conditioning hidden somewhere in there. Made to be driven.

The Road Agent...why not put more up there, but I'd prefer it look more like this..... http://www.funzug.com/index.php/cars/ed-roth-inspired-bubbletop-hot-rod-car.html

I saw the B.B. II and Roth in ABQ in the 90's. The man was wry and the car was weird. I think the dome was off. It had bright white seats. Fave? Gotta Be the Orbitron. Look at the orbitron gizmo. It's like an old projection T.V. Before projection T.V. Plus it's got a dome. Got to Have a dome. And, with no body weight and a V-8 it was undoubtedly dangerous

WHOA!!!!!!!!!! That's all I can say and I can't say no more....WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shane-O said:

I love all of his creations but this is my favorite. The Druid Princess

Really? ;) Shane-O said:

I love all of his creations but this is my favorite. The Druid Princess

I love all of his creations but this is my favorite. The Druid Princess

I'm partial to the original Beatnik Bandit - I've got a slotcar version of it. We just ordered some Ed Roth decals - the family is still running the merch so it was great to receive a package from Ed "Big Daddy" Roth !

I love all of his creations but I would have payed to see Ed do a rat rod... I don't know why but I think it would look great...

I'm going for the trolley/kart thing by The Beatnik Bandit II. I don't know if Ed Roth made it but it looks cool and dangerous, my type of transport.

I vote the Beatnik Bandit, great scallop (I guess they qualify as scallops still) paint job, the bubble top (was this a first on this car? can't remember if Starbird also toyed with plexiglass domes.) The single joy stick control. It's a classic in my book.

Outlaw would be number two, although I guess it was more ground breaking for its time than the Bandit.

I really(!!!) like the OUTLAW. Lots of classic HOT-ROD style, a bit of the futuristic touches of the others, LOTS of chrome. I could see myself in that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!