Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth - His Life, Times, Cars and Art

By: Pat Ganahl .

In 1932, Ed Roth was born to German immigrant parents in Beverly Hills, California. He grew up in Bell, just south of Los Angeles, and according to his brother, Gordon, always had an aptitude for things both mechanical and artistic. In the '50s and '60s, Ed's unive personality would combine those mechanical and artistic abilities to create some of the most memorable custom cars ever built.

But Ed's life was much more than bubble tops, fiberglass and chrome wheels. His mind was constantly inventing and innovating, coming up with new ideas, new characters, new cars, trikes, and bikes. And this book covers it all the creation of Rat Fink, pinstriping and scallops with Baron and Kelly, VW-powered trikes, battles with biker gangs, the Roth Studios, Revell model kits, sign painting at Knotts Berry Farm, and the eventual return to building VS-powered trikes, cars, and even little red wagons. The guy just never let up.

Ed died unexpectedly in 2001, but he left behind a rich, creative legacy, and an entire generation of fans who grew up doodling Rat Finks in their notebooks. Today, his cars are ensconced in museums or sought after and restored by collectors. Original Ed Roth artwork hangs in art galleries, his model kits are back in production, and Rat Fmk has broken free of the two-dimensional world and appears on toy store shelves world-wide. Ed Roth is one character that wont soon be forgotten.

To say his life was interesting is an understatement -- and this book covers it all, from art to custom cars, monster shirts to VW-powered trikes, and the wild life that brought it all together.

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