|
|
Article: Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth Dies; Created Rat Fink, Visionary Car Designs
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- April 7, 2001
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
-- Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, 69, a sign painter turned car designer
whose outrageous automotive creations and grungy cartoon alter ego,
Rat Fink, made him an icon of Southern California pop culture in the
1950s and 1960s, was found dead April 4 in his workshop near his home
in Manti, Utah.
The cause of death has not been determined.
He gained fame with the "Beatnik Bandit" custom vehicle in 1958
and a fiberglass hot rod called the "Outlaw" in 1959. As a designer,
Mr. Roth was considered a genius and visionary, not only for his
radical designs, but also for his pioneering use of fiberglass in car
bodies.
He had a "huge" influence on the culture of Southern California,
said Ellen Fleurov, museum ...