
It seems everyone is happy about this development. The new company will be headquartered in a purpose-built building in the beach city of Oceanside, California and staffed with an international roster of designers, fabricators and builders. “It transcends being this four-wheeled thing. “I have a lot of reverence for what Bruce created,” he told Autoweek. We called Thomas at home soon after the announcement. He even spent some time at Daimler Chrysler designing some especially American icons like the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 with Ralph Gilles. Some of his more iconic designs include the concepts for the new Beetle and Audi TT. The new CEO and chief creative officer is Freeman Thomas, a former designer at VW, Porsche and Audi. Thankfully, Trousdale Ventures (owned by Phillip Sarofim, a billionaire, venture capitalist, car collector and racer with a passion for cool cars) is putting the company into the hands of some capable folks. Bruce (pictured above) ran the company with his wife, Winnie, from the beginning in 1964.

Bruce Meyers has officially sold his decades-old company to an investment firm called Trousdale Ventures. The Meyers Manx company has found new ownership for the first time. Come and feel the power of a starry night''. Just the crown is missin’, but that's alright. The soundtrack of this 1974 film, by Oliver Onions, perfectly expresses the enthusiasm that a vehicle of this type could arouse: 'I feel like a king in my Buggy.
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And it is famous the presence of a red dune buggy (built in Italy by Puma) that Terence Hill and Bud Spencer drive in the movie 'Watch out, we’re mad'. Notably Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway drove a dune buggy with a 6-cylinder Chevrolet Corvair engine in the 1968 film 'The Thomas Crown Affair', while Presley appears behind the wheel of a buggy in the film 'Live a Little, Love a Little'. Yellow Elvis Presley Meyers Manx Volkswagen Dune-Buggy.įans of this strange but funny type of car include Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. Meyers was certainly one of the best known and most appreciated. Although the total number of Meyers Manx built is not known (we are talking about 6,000 specimens but they are probably many more as mounting kits were not listed as new cars), the model designed by Bruce F. The first buggy, built like all subsequent ones on the chassis of the Volkswagen Beetle, was launched in 1964. Meyers made this decision at the beautiful age of 94 years, after spending 56 years at the helm of his company. The news would have little relevance, except for the point of view of fans of the Beach Boys and the 'surfin' lifestyle of the '60s and' 70s, were it not that Bruce F. Meyers, known for launching the Meyers Manx dune buggy with his Fountain Valley company in 1964, produced until 1971 and then resumed in 1999, has decided to sell its business and brand.
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Transmission: 4-speed manual transaxle, 2-wheel drive.īruce F. New vehicles inspired by the original Manx buggy have been produced by Meyers's re-founded operation, Meyers Manx, Inc., since 2000.Įngine: 1.2L VW H4, 1.3L VW H4, 1.5L VW H4, 1.6L H4. The Meyers Manx dune buggy, the iconic Southern California car that inspired the dune buggy craze, is a small recreationally-oriented automobile, designed initially for desert racing by Californian engineer, artist, boat builder and surfer Bruce F. Bruce and his wife Winnie have run the company the same way they run their lives, simply and with a smile.īruce Meyers at 94 is finally letting his baby go. It’s no coincidence that Meyers Manx is the coolest car company once you know how cool its creator is. Performance, simplicity and raw joy has always been the defining nature of it. This icon of fiberglass fabrication is equally heartwarming and it is badass.

The dune buggy that started it all is the Meyers Manx. The “dune buggy” has fully and completely wiggled itself into American car culture as a permanent fixture over the last 50 years or so. Today, the original Stratos can easily fetch over half a million dollars.Meyers Manx company sold to new owners. It’s rarer than an honest politician though, with only 492 vehicles made. The Lancia Stratos, which dominated the World Rally Championships in the mid-1970s, is among the most gorgeously aggressive auto designs of all time.

Which Kit Car Do You Want in Your Garage? Below are a few kit cars from reputable manufacturers that are worth considering. This allows you to know what you’re getting into before you write them a big check. Almost all kit car manufacturers will provide or sell you an assembly manual prior to your kit car purchase.
