Today I opened a Mattel Hot Wheels
Astro Funk. Clearly inspired by show rods of the 60s and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Beatnik Bandit and Mysterion in particular.
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| 1960 Beatnik Bandit |
Mattel produced a Hot Wheels version in the late '60s. I've read that Ed Roth was unhappy with the many colors the car came in, none of which were the real car's pearl white.
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| 1968 Hot Wheels Beatnik Bandit |
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| 1963 Mysterion |
The granddaddy of all bubble tops is considered to be Darryl Starbird's Predicta '56 Thunderbird.
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| 1960 Predicta |
It is interesting to note that the designer's rendering of the Astro Funk (below) rides much lower than the production version which reminds me of Johnny Lightning's awkward take of the Mysterion with its too high rear end stance.
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| Astro Funk artist's rendering |
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| Johnny Lightning Mysterion |
Contemporary cars paying homage to the same influences as the Astro Funk include Aaron Grote's Atomic Punk
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| 2008 Atomic Punk |
And Dave Shuten's AstroSled
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| AstroSled | | |
And the Roswell Rod by Fritz
For some cool reading you must get
Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth: His Life, Times and Art (Cartech)
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