Ed "Big Daddy" Roth...The Original Rat Fink explores the life, times, and creations of designer, entrepreneur, and car fabricator Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Roth rose to celebrity status in the car-crazed youth culture of the 1960s, reinventing the custom car aesthetic with wild, fiberglass-bodied fantasy hot rods. He amazed car show attendees with vehicles like the Outlaw, the Beatnik Bandit, and ROTAR. His company, Roth Studios, produced striking art and typography with caricatures of monster in muscle cars and hot rods. The archetypal Roth character, Rat Fink, was widely regarded as Mickey Mouse's alter ego. Kids loved it and moms hated it.

Ed Roth knew his audience. He knew what would appeal to hot rodders and what would appeal to kids. His genius lay in his ability to package and sell irreverence and rebellion to American youth, an influential new demographic that emerged in the prosperous years following the Second World War. His imaginative vehicles pointed the way for fantasy hot rods in the decades to come.

This image © Sphinx Productions 2005/ Rat Fink name and device are trademarks of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Inc.

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth...The Original Rat Fink was created by the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. After a successful run at the Petersen they have generously agreed to loan the exhibition to the Blackhawk Museum for this very special spring time showing. In addition, The National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada has loaned us the Beatnik Bandit hot rod in order to round out the exhibition. The Blackhawk Museum would like to thank both of these fine institutions for both their generosity and expertise.