Early Days of California Kustom Culture

Many in the classic, collector, and hot rod world know the names. Two men whose names, persona, and most of all their work, are synonymous with Hot Rod culture in California in the 50's and 60's. They were...

...Kenny Howard, aka VonDutch

and
Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth.

For me, it all started when I was growing up with Rat Fink, that counterculture alternative to Mickey Mouse. The Monster T-Shirts emblazoned with weirdos, monsters, and cool cars that seemed to leap out of the illustrations, every one featuring Rat Fink somewhere in the mix. And then the Kustoms - the Beatnik Bandit, Mysterion, Orbitron, and my favorite Tweedy Pie, those really out there creations that I could build from a model kit bought for $3.95 at Earl's Toys & Hobbies in North Hollywood with my paper route earnings. These guys were legendary, larger than life, and heroes in their own way. I was privledged to meet both of them, albeit later in life, some might have said 'past their prime' but the creativity was there and both were the coolest. I attended one of Roth's 'striper reunions with my friend Tommy 'Itchy' Otis and I'll never forget it.

Von Dutch and Ed Roth are both gone now, but their talents touched many, including Royce Seevers and his Autoettes. VonDutch and Ed Roth both were young stripers starting out in the areas surrounding Long Beach and Royce Seevers knew talent when he saw it. In those early years both of these men who became legends pinstriped humble Autoettes. Our 1953 Autoette bears its original paint job and pinstriping by Kenny Howard and there is a little of VonDutch even in that work. Check out the fishnet pattern in this accent below the taillight.



With the proliferation of small electric car builders that followed Autoette, it was inevitable that in addition to shared parts, the companies would share pinstripers as well. The Electric Shopper Company, also of Long Beach, was started by a former employee of Autoette. Later purchased into the Autoette Co., the Electric Shopper utilized the talents of VonDutch and Ed Roth as well. Here is an example of an Electric Shopper with a stunning green color that retains its original striping. Note the similarities to the red Autoette.