From the mind of Mr. Gasser himself, with behind-the-scenes pictures from his own files, comes the story of the life and times and art of this icon of hot rodding and visionary of Kustom Kulture. Since Ed "Big Daddy" Roth first told his tale, a whole new generation has discovered the creator of Rat Fink, Beatnik Bandit, and Mysterion-and this now-classic illustrated autobiography gives new and old fans alike a look into the shop and studio. ""The Salvador Dali of the movement,"" Tom Wolfe called him, ""a surrealist in his designs, a showman by temperament, a prankster""–and Roth’s larger-than-life personality comes across here as he tells how he arrived at his famous ""plaster and fiberglass"" method of constructing his sculptures on wheels (It could be done ""by people with little or no talent and I had both,"" as he put it.) and shows off some of his more outlandish models. A fitting tribute to an outlaw legend, this book brings Big Daddy’s work to wild and wonderful life, and lets us hear the man’s incomparable voice one more time.

The firsthand story of this visionary of Kustom Kulture, with input from fellow builders, painters, and hot rodders, and a wealth of pictures from inside the shop and studio.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in the epicentre of the California hot rod explosion, Ed Roth created automotive forms purely from his own imagination. He transformed car design, reinvented American hot rod culture and put Detroit on notice. Each of his creations transcended function and form to turn the American automobile into rolling sculpture.

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth (1932-2001) was a phenomenon. His body of work is still discussed in hot rodding, fine arts and pop culture circles and his cult following remains as devoted as it was during his career. His 1963 Mysterion show car--featuring two big-block Ford V8s--was his masterpiece and the story of its rise and brief existence is legendary. Though it was immortalized as a popular plastic model kit and is featured on several websites, little is known about Roth's magnum opus. There are a number of fanciful stories of its demise--mostly fiction. Combining history and shop class, this book provides a full investigation of Mysterion--both the legend and the machine itself. Drawing on interviews, magazine articles, photos, models and other (sometimes obscure) sources, the author pieces together the true story of the car, while documenting his own faithful bolt-by-bolt recreation of Mysterion.

- The only complete history of Big Daddy Roth's life.- Ed Roth was a major influence on the world of art, pop culture, hot rods, and motorcycles.- Contains many previously unpublished photos and stories.

The pioneer of the Kustom Kar Kraze of the 1960s and the creator of the Rat Fink character offers an irreverant account of his life and work

Chopped or channeled, candy metalflaked or rusted-out, hot rods are institutions of American motoring. This collection of more than three dozen roadsters, coupes, rat rods, and show cars provides a nicely priced, all-color survey of this enduring hobby. Each hot rod is featured in full-vehicle and detail shots of the car, a brief history of the car and the build, and more.

Classics from the 1950s, '60s and '70s -- many of which have never appeared in print -- fill the pages of this colorful volume.

Written in a lively, engaging style, the book chronicles Boyd Coddingon's career as well as the long, colorful history of hot rods, street rods, and custom cars, machines that transcend transportation to express the highest levels of skill and artistry.