Motion Pictures "Beatnik Bandit" video at 1961 Custom Car Show

Great vid, thanks for posting.

 

that was cool. it looked like he was raising and lowering the top on the bandit by pulling the antena (sp)

 

CHOP 57.....Thanks for sharing this short video. I noticed the show sign behind the "Beatnik Bandit" had the name Fritz Viogt as engine builder. Fritz had a shop just down the street from Ed's shop in Maywood Ca, Fritz built most of Ed's engines and helped with the mechanical things on most all of Ed's projects. Fritz later teamed up with Mickey Thompson as head mechanic on the two & four engine streamliners and later they went to the Indy 500 to race the new rear engine cars.

customcory: I don't think that was Doug "Dirty Doug" Kenny helping that young lady in the Beatnik Bandit, Doug was a very small man, the helper appears to be a bit larger than Doug.

 

Super awesome.

 

Great memories as I hired the Bandit for a car show in Florida in 1961. My guess is that the guy helping the girl was probably Ron Ekholm of Promotions Inc. who owned the car in 1961.
The gas can held alcohol which is what the car ran on because of the fumes. They actually fired the car every half hour as part of the presentation. They also had a stereo audio presentation and that was at the beginning of stereo and few had heard the sound of stereo before. When they started the presentation and had bongos playing, you could watch the crowd gather around the car.
Thanks for the video.

 

Cool video even though I got a little sea-sick in the beginning.

Was that Thompson Dragstrip in Ohio?

 

Sure was. It was on the very last frame at the bottom of the "Drag Strip" sign.

As I watched the drag part of the video I was hoping to see the uphill end of the strip that Thompson had, just to verify. Unfortunately, none of the film showed the cars at the end of the strip.

"Sunday...Sunday...Sunday at beautiful Thompson Drag Raceway....."

...posted by a former Clevelander.....

 

very COOL, thanks for the post.....

 

* Yes, it was Thompson Dragstrip in the summer of 1961, Thompson, Ohio.

 

It would be pretty hard to top that footage. Too bad cameras werent everywhere back then like they are now. On the other hand if they were, seeing stuff like this wouldnt be nearly as special.

 

Cool video but man do my eyes hurt from bouncing up and down! HRP

 

Car show judging awarded extra bonus points for display. If you had gas, oil, and water cans painted to match your ride you got extra points. Likewise chrome plated tools. Not having them, could make the difference between winning a trophy and losing. No use getting beat by an inferior car for not having the display items.

Who else remembers model car kits with the cans, chrome lug wrench and tool box as part of the 3in1 custom car display?

 

At that time the car was hired for show promotions and was not entered into competition. It was owned by Promotions inc. as was the Outlaw.

 

Just came across this. Super cool video!!!

 

Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing!

 

That's just amazing. Thanks for sharing.

 

Awesome! Its amazing to see life in motion back then.

 

More people smoked, you needed a place to put the butts.

Great Video!

 

Saw some of these cars back then at smaller venues where one or two would be featured as drawing cards. That was the only way we'd see them in person in the upper mid-west in the 50s and 60s. I have a few pics of them taken with an early Polaroid in various stages of turning yellow and fading color. Thanks for the memories!

 

Nice "kick-start" for my day! Thanks for sharing.

 

Great Old Footage Real Good Thanks For Sharing . !!!

 

A look back at one of Roth's cars being transported to a show. No enclosed trailer back then...

 

Very cool. Thanks for posting!

 

** so glad you guys like my video...

 

Really enjoyed this again as it returned to the top. The show I put on that featured the Bandit was the last of Sept, 1961. This show had to be the next show that it went to. I sure wish I had a recording of the Sound video that played during the Bandit presentation, it was very professional and the Stereo set up was part of the show. It drew the spectators to the car like a magnet. After every one went home, I sat in the Bandit, as I was also my own night watchman, because I couldn't afford anyone else, and the armory required a night watchman.
Thanks, Chop57.

 

Nice video... Roth really had an eye for the "flow" of a car.....

 

I always thought of Roth as an artist, who liked cars as one of his mediums. I always wondered what he would have done, if someone had exposed him to airplanes. Hmmm......

 

It's pretty neat that a car/sculpture can look as fresh now as it did 50 years ago. Thanks.

 

OH MY GOD!!!! The 1961 Motorama is my favriot hot rod/custom event in history! Barris, Roth, Cushenbury, the Alexander Bros and many more!

 

... and at the end it shows my own 1959 T-Bird which I named "Playboy's Chariot" painted in candy red over a silver base.

I sent this video to my father, who was there at that very event, and he told me that he remembers a candy red T Bird. He told me that he has pictures of the Motorama in his attic and may very well have pictures of your car. Sadly he is not on the HAMB, nor is "computer freindly" Therfore having no way to post pictures. He lives on the other side of the country now so if I ever vis it him I sure will ask for pics!