The far-out show rods of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, including the Beatnik Bandit, above, will be featured at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance next March. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ For the second time in a month, large quantities of marijuana were discovered in Ford vehicles shipped from plants in Mexico to the United States for sale. More at The Detroit News.
+ In a private press showing just off Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Rolls-Royce introduced the 2018 Phantom VIII, boasting 563 hp and a top speed of 155 mph. More at CNet.
+ Wichita, Kansas custom car builder Dave Stuckey, creator of the Lil’ Coffin and other noted 1960s show cars, has passed away at 79. More at the Wichita Eagle.
+ After fielding an offer from Formula 1, the city of Long Beach announced its intention to extend its current deal with the group that presents the IndyCar series there. More at Racer.
+ A Fiat Chrysler executive, the widow of a UAW vice president, and a financial analyst were indicted in an alleged scheme to embezzle funds from the automaker. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ U.S. and California regulators are expected to approve Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ application to sell diesel-powered 2017 vehicles, according to inside sources. More at Reuters.
+ Ford’s second-quarter earnings topped analysts’ expectations at 56 cents per share, boosted by strong performance at its financing arm and brisk truck sales. More at CNBC.
+ Britain will ban the sale of new cars and vans powered by diesel and gasoline engines starting in 2040 as part of a sweeping plan to tackle air pollution. More at USA Today.
+ A selection of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s fabulous show rods, including the Beatnik Bandit, will be featured at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance next March. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ NASCAR Monster Cup driver Ryan Blaney will move to a third car at Team Penske in 2018, while his current seat in the Wood Brothers Ford will be taken over by Paul Menard. More at the Sporting News.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from July 24 here.
Photo courtesy of the National Auto Museum.
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I viewed these in Reno at the American Museum of the Automobile. Tiny things really.
I think it’s rather ironic, the 1st headline states pot was found in Ford vehicles from Mexico, then farther down, “Ford’s 2nd quarter earnings topped analysts’ expectations”,,, oh boy,,
Those who are placing Mary Jane in railcars going to Ford must know it’s going to be “found”?? Can they really be that “unwise”? Or was it hidden in plain sight, intended to be secretly given away by the government, like the guns given to drug dealers in that other brilliant scheme?
Speaking of Brilliant, rest in peace, Big Daddy! I asked Ed Roth how he came up with an idea for a car, or if he just made it up as went along. He said that he always carried a grease pencil in his Honda, and while in traffic, if he observed a taillight which caught his eye, he’d write on the inside of his windshield what kind of car it was on, then go to a junk yard (auto recycling yard) find and buy the taillights, then build a car around them.
In 1985 Ed Roth was our guest at the 25th Anniversary Motorama show in Syracuse, NY, where one of his creations had been featured in the 1st Motorama (1961). He was relating that he wanted to resurrect Rat Fink with a new series of stories for children, gave an overview of what his intention was in doing so, and asked if I would be interested in writing some stories for him. When I asked him what he would want me to write ( my
associates who were there at the time told others that Ed Roth had complimented ? me)
He said “I can’t tell you what to write. Your mind is too warped for me to tell you what to write”.
He was really a good man, who opened up a lot, and was not as radical as his persona portrayed him to be.
Note to Hemmings: Revell made the Roth models, not AMT. I forgive you, but I can’t speak for Revell.
They say the Rolls has been redesigned but I don’t see it. It’s not the handsomest car but I like the style. A Rolls Royce show be imposing and ostentatious. The 1965-2002 cars were bland and resembled Jaguars, Benzes and Lincolns. I’m disappointed that they are BMWs now, but at least they look right. The failure of Britain’s auto industry should be a yearly reading requirement for all Ford and GM employees.
I find it kind of interesting about pot being found in a shipment of cars destined for the states. There’s an urban legend up in the western plains about a man who bought the family farm equipment business in ’79 (a time when interest rates were beyond ridiculous) for over a million dollars–borrowed the entire amount–and had it paid off in less than three years. The guy was somewhat of a jet-setter and had lots of connections but the stories abounded that he was selling a lot more than tractors. Then comes the story where a farmer buys a new tractor and encounters low power and black smoke. He pulls out the air filters and finds a major stash of plastic bags filled with ‘nose candy.’ Well that story got around faster than the one about the loose girls in the high school locker room. But you still have to wonder how much of the story was true. Anyone who has had experience running a dealership knows how much product you have to move just to pay for the product and the overhead.
Sorry about Dave Stuckey. I always loved the L’il Coffin. I made a model of that back when I was a 6th grader. Those early builders were really talented.
Big Daddy was another builder that fascinated me. A very talented man who successfully portrayed the outlaw lifestyle while keeping his private life somewhat different. I built three of his models and would love to see his collection under one roof–or on the lawn would be OK too….