Ed Roth's Mysterion

Book excerpt: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth (1932-2001) was a phenomenon. His body of work is still discussed in hot rodding, fine arts and pop culture circles and his cult following remains as devoted as it was during his career. His 1963 Mysterion show car--featuring two big-block Ford V8s--was his masterpiece and the story of its rise and brief existence is legendary. Though it was immortalized as a popular plastic model kit and is featured on several websites, little is known about Roth's magnum opus. There are a number of fanciful stories of its demise--mostly fiction. Combining history and shop class, this book provides a full investigation of Mysterion--both the legend and the machine itself. Drawing on interviews, magazine articles, photos, models and other (sometimes obscure) sources, the author pieces together the true story of the car, while documenting his own faithful bolt-by-bolt recreation of Mysterion.