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Custom Cars big and small have always caught my eye. As some of you know my hobby is collecting and designing 1-to-1 customs. 50’s era customs are my favorite. Well the custom car world was in full swing in the states during the early 50’s and late 60’s. Builders such as Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Bill Cushenberry and Daryl Starbird were household names in those pocket-size Rod & Custom magazines. Roth’s Beatnik Bandit and Cushenberry’s Silhouette were scaled down from full size prize winning customs to 1968 Mattel releases. So, I’ve always wondered where the ideas and thoughts came from with the origin of the Sugar Caddy.

Well, I would say that might point to the full-size bubble tops that came out of Daryl Starbird’s “King of the Bubble Tops” stables. Daryl’s “Pedicta” show car was just one of many customs he built on Ford, Chevy and Cadillac chassis that Mattel took notice of when designing the Sugar Caddy. Mattel already had an Eldorado casting, so why not modify it.

This casting was available in 12 spectra-flame colors and had a plastic interior that came in assorted colors. The Sugar Caddy is one of my favorites, designed by Ira Gilford, it sports an exposed engine, glass roof and spoiler door decals.

Note: The Orange Sugar Caddy with black roof and racing stripes is part of my collection, but I commissioned James Sweetring “AKA, Rooster” out of his Utah custom shop for this restoration. I’ve also included a shot of the original “Pedicta” as reference.

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com

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