Beatnik Bandit

The Beatnik Bandit is a show car built by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. It was then duplicated in 1:64th scale by designer Harry Bradley to be included as part of the Original 16 castings in the 1968 Hot Wheels line.

The original tool was only used from 1968-1971 and then was retired. The car was retooled in 1993 as part of Hot Wheels' 25th Anniversary. It was used twice in 1994, as part of the Vintage Series and the FAO Gold Series I. The tool then sat, unused until 2003, when it was dusted off again for the Hall of Fame Series when Hot Wheels honored Ed Roth, himself. It hasn't been used since.

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

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 n plaster to create a mold for the all-fiberglass body. The duel carbed blown Oldsmobile engine sits ahead of a handmade bubble top created by softening a plastic sheet in a large pizza oven.


 * 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"