Beatnik Bandit

The Real Beatnik Bandit


The Beatnik Bandit was designed and built by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and was the second of his creations to tour with the International Championship Auto Shows (ICAS), in the 1960-61 season. The Outlaw was Roth's first ICAS custom, but the Bandit was the first Roth car created by their Show Car Division specifically for the show circuit. The Beatnik Bandit started out as a project car for Rod & Custom magazine. It was built using a 1955 Oldsmobile frame which was shortened, then covered in plaster to create a mold for the all-fiberglass body. The duel-carb blown Oldsmobile engine sits forward of a hand-made custom bubble top created by carefully softening a sheet of plexiglas in a large pizza oven to the point just before it becomes molten.


 * The Bandit's one-arm steering stick, mounted between the gold trimmed white leather seats, also controlled the throttle and shifting of the car. The Beatnik Bandit toured all over the country in the Sixties, and by 1970 had been repainted green. The car was sold to Harrah's in Reno, who restored it back to its original condition. The Beatnik Bandit can currently be seen at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.


 * I acquired this picture From Ed Roth when he was a guest at a car show in St. Ignace, Michigan. The information is sourced from Ed Roth's book "Hot Rods".

Description
The Beatnik Bandit was designed Mattel designer Harry Bradley to be included as part of the Original 16 castings in the 1968 Hot Wheels line.

The car debuted in 1968, and the original tools and dies were used from 1968 to 1971, and then they were retired. The car was retooled in 1993 as part of Hot Wheels' 25th Anniversary series. It was then used twice in 1994, as part of both the Vintage Series and the FAO Schwartz Gold Series I. The tools and dies then collected dust after that and sat unused until 2003, when the molds were dusted off again for the Hall of Fame Series when Hot Wheels honored Ed Roth himself.

The original Beatnik Bandit was produced from 1968 to 1971 in both the USA and Hong Kong factories. Interiors can be found in white, tan, brown, grey, and black. Several differences appear between the HK and USA castings. The glass in USA Bandits are clear while HK cars have blue tinted glass. USA cars have the 'Control Stick' while HK cars have a black steering wheel. USA engines have dual injectors while HK engines have a blower. HK Bandits have 4 square holes in the base, while USA cars don't. HK cars have larger headlights and grille opening than USA cars.

USA Versions
The Beatnik Bandit has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:

Notes: Clear Glass, Steering wheel is a butterfly style, 2 small air cleaners on blower, less detail on motor, smaller grill and headlights, silver wheels.

Colors are desending in rarity from most common to most rare.

Hong Kong Versions
The Beatnik Bandit has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:

Notes: Blue tint glass, Black Steering wheel, 4 holes in base, blower has forward scoop, more detail to motor, Larger grill and headlights.

Colors are desending in rarity from most common to most rare.

2013-card
From the back of the 2013-card:

''Hot Wheels® proudly presents your 2013 Rewards car. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber during this past year. Produced in limited quantities, you are now the proud owner of this Beatnik Bandit.''