ED ROTH-Which one is the best?........

The Road Agent is,
BY FAR-
the COOLEST.

In my un-educated opinion,
it seemed to define "what Mr. Roth was about"
Taking something OBSCURE,
and making it COOL as CAKE-

Then probably the ground-breaking "Outlaw"

 

it's a toss up between the Beatnik Bandit and the Mysterion but i think if i had to choose i would say MYSTERION!!!

 

.......the U-Haul truck full of t-shirts and a rolled up sleeping bag he was vending out of and sleeping in at Carlisle the year I got to meet him. THAT was what Ed was all about!

 

I like them all (the cars that is). Best looking to my eye is the Beatnik Bandit, by I have a soft spot for Orbitron too, as much as Roth disliked it.

 

Faves are:
Beatnik Bandit
Mysterion
Tweedy Pie
Little Jewel
Road Agent

 

I have to second the vote for the Yellow Fang. Got to see it run. The show cars are all cool, but remind me of dune buggys.

From Draglist

 

KEEEERISTTTTT!
Joe...you got to see YELLOW FANG run?
Who's in it....is the BushMaster the sole driver of YF during his partnership with Ed?
Was an aluminum body considered a standout when they built it?
How unique was YF compared to glas bodies?
I'll put your replies in my memory book....if I don't forget!

 

I'd have to say the Beatnik Bandit...
and second to that would have to be his '64 Savoy super stocker... or his '55 Chevy.
Sam.

 

Don't remember all that much about it. I was like 14 or 15 at the time. Built during the streamliner era. 65 or so.
George drove it and Hanna did the body from a clay model I think. I always loved Pagan Gold.
Here's a Steve Reyes pic.

 

As far as his bikes go - I always thought the mailbox one and the candy wagon trikes were cool....

 

as the story goes ! when i found rotar before i put it back together i also found out i was just days behind getting yellow fang from the same location, big daddy garlits got it, and would not sell it to me because he said his long time buddy connie swingle test drove it so it was close to his heart !!!!, the bushmaster 'george scri bner' was possibly the only other person to drive it up until garlits restored it. anyway yellow fang is my fav.

 

ps, tom hanna supposedly charged 4000.00 to build the fang body. that was way out there money wise back then.

 

Aside from the obvious choices, Big Ed had a killer looking A tudor in a great shade of green that I've seen a photo of somewhere?

 

I kinda like BB2 better, but also like what he did with the Berrywagon when he worked at Knotts
Here it is in my back yard

 

I'll try that once more....

 

Road Agent.

Why?

When I first saw it I thought, "What a goofy looking thing! It doesn't look like anything...Not a Hotrod like Outlaw, not a Corvette nosed Custom like Beatnik Bandit. I'm not even sure it looks like a car at all!"
Then I started noticing all the cool ideas in it like the front coil springs that are in tension instead of compression, and the audacity of using that weird boxer flatmotor, and the bubble top with "grooves" in it.
Wow this was original! This is really different! This is making it's own envelope! This is ART!

Yea, I like Beatnik Bandit and Outlaw too...

Never did like anything about the Mysterion except the radiator headlight thingy. The side scoops are just a 62 Corvette side scoop idea turned backwards...I thought the two engines looked too heavy for the skinny tires and swis cheese frame...

ROT(h)AR was fun... and The Surfite looks bitchin whan it's moving.

My favorite trike was Rubber Ducky. Very innovative design and use of weird power again.

????
I have the Roth & Thacker Roth book.... Does the Ganahl book have enough new material in it to warrant the $40 or is it mostly redundant information to what i already have?

 

the "Berry Wagens" plural, correct me if im wrong ! there were two, one a prop the other a wheel standing exhibition thing a ma jig. from pics yours looks like the prop ?

 

If you dont want rehash you need to get doug nasons[from copro/nason gallery fame] , "the art of big daddy roth " its new ground and was done with real research and thought, no mistakes their.you can see it on ebay with green cover that looks like a model kit.you can get it also on their web site on the internet at copro/nason.

 

You're correct, there are two. Mine is the prop that was in the park. Both were identical in the body, there were a couple differences on the decals on the sides. Not sure what to do with mine.

 

George,
That sounds like a GREAT book......wonder what's in it ?

 

I would like to take this opportunity to say,
"Moriarity Kicks Ass."

 

I think they all suck, the dragster is pretty cool but a little too flashy for my taste.
I honestly don't see what the big deal was with this guy!

keven

 

Keven-
You suck.

 

<font color="purple"> I like the trikes, only cuz I have one. I still plan on starting the frame next summer. </font>

 

Ace ! im surprised you do not have that book ! it covers every aspect of roths world , his history-art-decals-t shirts-vehicle designs-vehicles-toys-things. its thick and well researched,lots of color,its a true art book with things never seen before. sounds like a sales pitch ?closest thing to it was the Kustom Kulture book from the laguna art museum show years ago.

 

right on 50ford...right on.

 

Enough is FUCKING enough.
What's "Right On" about spitting on a dead man?
Fuck it...I guess we're not happy enough with a history of killing presidents,astronauts,and college students....Welcome to Texas....Fuck it....I'm out...Germ- fire up the Caddy, cash your check, turn it all into $1's...

 

Kevin,
Do you like or understand the work of any Art/Artists at all?

J. Ace,
It's only two people out of dozens of positive replys, not enough to blow a bubble top over.

 

50Ford and Kartbraker...

The post is titled ED ROTH-Which one is the best?........ nobody asked you to reply to the post if you don't actually have a favorite Roth vehicle or even like what he built. By the way...he probably did more in any ONE YEAR of his creative life than both of you two, combined, will do in the REST of your narrow minded, trend following, little lives.