The Beatnik Bandit is a show car built by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. It was then duplicated in 1:64th scale by designer Harry Bradley to be included as part of the Original 16 castings in the 1968 Hot Wheels line.

The original tool was only used from 1968-1971 and then was retired. The car was retooled in 1993 as part of Hot Wheels' 25th Anniversary. It was used twice in 1994, as part of the Vintage Series and the FAO Gold Series I. The tool then sat, unused until 2003, when it was dusted off again for the Hall of Fame Series when Hot Wheels honored Ed Roth, himself. It hasn't been used since.

VersionsEdit

The Beatnik Bandit has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:

Col #	Year	Series	Color	Tampo	Base Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	Toy #	Country	Notes / Variations	Photo
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Blue	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL		United States or Hong Kong
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Purple	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Light Gray	RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Purple	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Dark Gray	RL		Hong Kong
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Aqua	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint		RL		Hong Kong
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Gold	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Green	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL		U.S.A.
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Red	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Light Green	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Antifreeze	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear & Blue	White	RL		USA & Hong Kong	USA version has clear windows, HK version has blue. Subtle casting differences as well.
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Orange	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Rose	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Yellow	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Brown	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Olive	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Light Blue	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Dark Blue	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Magenta	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Pink	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
6217	1968	Original 16	Spectraflame Hot Pink	No tampos	Unpainted / Metal	Clear		RL
	1993	25th Anniversary Series	Metalflake Orange	no tampo	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL		China
	1994	Vintage Series	Metalflake Aqua	no tampo	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL		China
	1994	FAO Schwarz Gold Series Collection	Bluish-Purple	tiny White Hot Wheels Logo	Unpainted / Metal	Light Blue tint	White	RL Gold		China	Limited to 3000 produced
	2003	Hall Of Fame "Legends" Series	Pearl White		Unpainted / Metal	Clear		Whitewall CDDRR	B0938	China

The Real Beatnik BanditEdit

• The Beatnik Bandit was designed and built by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and was the second of his creations to tour with the International Championship Auto Shows (ICAS), in the 1960-61 season. The Outlaw was Roth's first ICAS custom, but the Bandit was the first Roth car created by their Show Car Division specifically for the show circuit. The Beatnik Bandit started out as a project car for Rod & Custom magazine. It was built using a 1955 Oldsmobile frame which was shortened, then covered n plaster to create a mold for the all-fiberglass body. The duel carbed blown Oldsmobile engine sits ahead of a handmade bubble top created by softening a plastic sheet in a large pizza oven.

• The Bandit's one-arm steering stick, mounted between the gold trimmed white leather seats, also controlled the throttle and shifting of the car. The Beatnik Bandit toured all over the country in the Sixties, and by 1970 had been repainted green. The car was sold to Harrah's in Reno, who restored it back to its original condition. The Beatnik Bandit can currently be seen at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.

• I acquired this picture From Ed Roth when he was a guest at a car show in St.Ignace, Michigan. The information is sourced from Ed Roth's book "Hot Rods"