Ed "Big Daddy" Roth On Kustom Kulture In 1969

“What is going on in young America?” Recently I have had to answer that question more often than before so that our products would seem more in step with the young set. To be groovy and “IN” can be a problem after a time becasue as time passes, these standards of “where it’s at” also change. Publishers find this be the most prominent reason for th reduction of their magazines, when they stay in the groove of one idea or one theme and refuse to note the interest generated in different directions. The first clue to their inability to cope with hew rends is the good old dollar and cent “circulation figures.” And then…only after considerable pressure will they swing with the “New.”

To me, all modern things started with the Hot Rod! That mechanical outa’ sight machine born in the junkyards of our country and bred with speed and endurance thru the trial and error method of such work great people as Dean Moon, Mickey Thompson, CRAGAR, Iskenderian and a myriad of others. These triers of ideas proved that we could replace violence and bad temperament with fast cars. Then as the words such as “Beatnik” and “Korea” disappeared into the American slang the new undergrowth of what we know as the modern Hippie started to rear itself onto the American scene. The basic foundation being a narcotic-aware-art-folk rock music beyond description. The Beatles and the other famous groups dominated the news and the basic structure of our youth changed from a build it yourself Hot Rod to a buy it and race it thing. What caused the change in that 20 years? Read more >