Hot Wheels Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Hot Wheels Wiki

The Real Beatnik Bandit

Beatnik band


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.

Year Series Color Sticker Base Color / Type Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Cast # Country Notes / Variations Photo
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Red Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Blue Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Beatnik Bandit Blu
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Green Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US HK motor Beatnik Bandit GrnR
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Aqua Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Beatnikbandit
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Orange Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Beatnik Bandit Org
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Rose Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Beatnik Bandit Red
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Purple Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Antifreeze Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Beatnik bandit antifreeze
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Lime Green Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Gold Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Olive Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Copper Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Brown Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Light Blue Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Beatnik Bandit ltbluL
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Creamy Pink Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Magenta Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Yellow Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US New Yellow 1
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Hot Pink Unpainted / Metal Clear RL 6217 US HP Bandit

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.

Year Series Color Sticker Base Color / Type Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Cast # Country Notes / Variations Photo
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Purple Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Beatnik Bandit purple
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Red Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Blue Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK HKBlueBeatnikBandit
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Green Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Image not available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Aqua Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Beatnik Bandit Aqa
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Copper Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Orange Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Olive Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Image Not Available
1968 Original 16 Spectraflame Creamy Pink Unpainted / Metal Blue tint RL 6217 HK Image Not Available

Gallery

Retooled Version

Col # Year Series Color Tampo Base Color / Type Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Toy # Country Notes / Variations Photo
- 1993 25th Anniversary Series Metalflake Orange no tampo Unpainted / Metal Blue tint White RL China Beatnik Bandit VinOrgR
- 1994 25th Anniversary Series Metalflake Aqua no tampo Unpainted / Metal Blue tint White RL China Beatnik Bandit VintLtBluR
- 1994 Vintage Series Metalflake Dark Gray tiny White Hot Wheels Logo Unpainted / Metal Blue tint White RL China Beatnik-bandit-grey-1994-vintage
- 1994 FAO Schwarz Gold Series Collection Bluish-Purple tiny White Hot Wheels Logo Unpainted / Metal Light Blue tint White RL Gold China Limited to 3000 produced Beatnik Bandit FAO
- 2003 Hall Of Fame "Legends" Series Pearl White Unpainted / Metal Clear Gray Whitewall CDDRR B0938 China Beatnik Bandit HoF
- 2012 HWC.com Bonus Release Spectraflame Pink None RLCO16-BeatnikBandit
- 2013 RLC Rewards Spectraflame Light Green Light Green & Yellow stripes on sides & across top Chrome / Metal Clear Pearl White Red Line RR5SP BLR10 Malaysia

Base code(s): G35

Only 8,100 produced

Beatnik Bandit package front

100% Hot Wheels Version

Col # Year Series Color Tampo Base Color / Type Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Toy # Country Notes / Variations Photo
2002 Blood, Sweat & Gears 2-Car Set White Orange Stripes Black / Metal Clear White Whitewall RR 55478 China Beatnik Bandit 100

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.

Gallery (Retooled Version)

Advertisement