Big Daddy Ed Roth in LIFE Magazine, 1964

Life Magazine, October 1964 issue: Ed Roth’s popularity in teen culture has reached Rat Fink becoming a household name. Between his car creations, t-shirts, model kits, and various bits of merchandise, Roth has built an empire that was netting him nearly $2.6 million dollars a year in 2025 money, and Life magazine took notice. Thought you might dig seeing this look back over 60 years ago:

“Behind the wheel of one of his satanic creations he looks like the devil out for a Sunday drive. But thousands of teen-age hot-rodders call Ed Roth “Big Daddy” and consider his crazy cars the creations of a genius. Roth, who is 32, started out 15 years ago chroming bumpers and wheels on the cars of customers his own age. Business was so good that he decided to make cars of his own. Road Agent (below), like his other 13 cars, is handmade from stock car parts and features chrome-plated axles and springs (between the wheels), a plastic canopy that comes down in rainy weather, and two side-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks.

At his shop in Maywood, Calif., Roth now works only part time on new designs. His big business, which will earn him $250,000 this year, is producing T-shirts and designing plastic model kits named after his cars (p. 98). His 14 cars have been shown in 65 cities for fees up to $800 a car. Teen-agers come in droves to see him, then go back home to hop up their own hot rods with chrome and junkyard treasure and way-out art work.”