Kenneth Howard A.K.A. Von Dutch

[Greg Myers]

A Blog from Greaser Alley : https://greaseralley.com/2011/07/13/kenneth-howard-a-k-a-von-dutch/

My question to you , is what connection to model car kits is there ? I think his "Flying Eyeball" decal is in a few kits.

[Jon Haigwood]

He seems to be known for his striping and art skills but I don't recall him being connected to any particular car build. I would think only connection would be  in his art work.

[espo]

Since the "Flying Eye Ball" was a signature feature in his designs to me it would mean that there would be some sort of a pinstripe design decal that would resemble one of his designs in the kit. He would usually paint the Eye Ball on either the dash or on the trunk lid. Years ago that was how he often signed his work much like most stripers will sign their name or nickname along with the year of the design on the trunk lid. I remember several years ago when I first saw the name and sometimes the Eye Ball on clothing worn by a teen girls if they knew where the name came from. They just thought I was some dirty old man and would blow me off. They had no idea other than it was just the latest and greats fad.    

[Greg Myers]

Hi$ legacy to his daughters.

[Daddyfink]

Wow, that article is 5 years old! 

 

 

[HotRodaSaurus]

There was an episode of American Pickers where they were raving about a motorcycle Dutch built, a combination of an old Harley Davidson with a VW engined hybrid. Much as I love Dutch's style etc, personally I think this bike just looked like what it was, a Harley with a VW engine in it. Nothing special, did not have any real 'Classic' look about it, the only real thing that made it interesting was Von Dutch built it.

The way Mike Wolfe was going on about it you would have thought it was the greatest custom bike ever built when in fact it just looks ugly(to my eye). I also think Mike Wolfe used up the show's quota of the word 'Cool' just on the bike

[Jon Haigwood]

another articular:  http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Von_Dutch 

and http://www.letterville.com/articles/bob_burns/vondutch/

 

 

could not find pictureof his Cordallac (sp?)

 

[sjordan2]

I don't know if those links mentioned it, but Von Dutch was also a knife and gun designer, notably creating the "mare's leg" sawed-off rifle used by Steve McQueen in "Wanted Dead or Alive." I came across that info when I was doing the advertising for Case knives, and didn't really know about his car involvement.

Edited May 20, 2016 by sjordan2

[Daddyfink]

[Daddyfink]

When everyone was wearing Von Dutch clothing, lots of hot rods starting sporting this bumper sticker

[Greg Myers]

$till, money in the bank for his daughters. 

Edited May 21, 2016 by Greg Myers

[GaryR]

Howard was who he was and did some great striping.

He was however, an erratic, often hostile and paranoid person, as well as a vehement racist.

He drank excessively and was very difficult, even in his striping. The deal was, you gave him your part or car for striping, he did whatever he wanted. You paid him anyway, even if you hated it!  LOL

His work was actually not so great technically, including his knives and metalworking.

Don' believe it or think I'm some goody two shoes? Think I'm being PC? Look him up. The HAMB has some good threads, stuff from those who actually knew him. The internet is full of stories of Von Dutch.

A devil and bad  guy? Not really.

But a Saint and a not a hero.Can't excuse his crude racism. An iconic hot rod guy and striper? Maybe.

[ChrisBcritter]

could not find picture of his Cordallac (sp?)

This could be it:

Full story: A photographer/photo collector friend of mine knew I was a car nut, and he gave me a batch of eight photos taken in L.A. in the 1940s of Cords and one Auburn speedster. Most were modified in some way, and this one has a '42 Cadillac front clip and maybe rear fenders ('41 Caddy trim on the hood). Whether it's actually the Von Dutch car, I don't know for sure - I sent copies of the photos to Rik Hoving but he didn't say if this was "the" Cordillac or not.

Still, how many could there be?

[slusher]

I myself don't care for the flying eyeball...

[Greg Myers]

Such sacrilege.  

[Jon Haigwood]

Such sacrilege.  

Indeed

The Flying Eyeball is as iconic to Hot Rodding as the "8 Ball Girl" 

[Daddyfink]

Or Lady Luck

 

[Greg Myers]

and the Dutch Mad Rabbit 

[Jon Haigwood]

I can remember my Dad having these on the lower front fender of his Plymouth around 1956

[Craig Irwin]

OR..

[Greg Myers]

Ubiquitous. THE iconic automotive sticker / decal. Good for either 5 MPH or 5 HP. 

[RancheroSteve]

Getting back to Von Dutch's creations - I've mentioned it before, but I'd still like to try building a scale replica of this one day:

[espo]

I can remember my Dad having these on the lower front fender of his Plymouth around 1956

Is it possible that your father had a Clay Smith cam in his car ? Clay had red hair and often chewed on a cigar, at least that was the story behind the logo for his cam company.   

[Jon Haigwood]

Is it possible that your father had a Clay Smith cam in his car ? Clay had red hair and often chewed on a cigar, at least that was the story behind the logo for his cam company.   

May but most likely not. I was only 6 at the time.

[Maindrian Pace]

I had a friend in the '80s/'90s, since passed away, that used to drink with Von Dutch at the Mill Avenue bridge in Tempe when he lived in Scottsdale back in the early '70s. He told me many stories about his personality, none of them particularly pleasant. Guy had a lot of problems by then.