Electric hunting buggy

In the 1960s, the Beach Boys operated the airlines. Surfing is a cool new sport as restless baby boomers challenge old notions. The first time this happened was when I was a teenager.
One area that has seen dramatic change is the automobile. The big land yachts of the ’50s are gone, and here’s the new, smaller Volkswagen Beetle. They were a breath of fresh air, inspiring a new generation of creators to join the hot rod culture. Think rebellion for no reason but with a tan.
Engineer, artist and naval architect Bruce Meyers is one such designer. Meyers took the mistake and used his wild imagination to create the era’s iconic off-road racing car, the Meyers Manx.
Along with the Manx came a dune buggy kit. The original “Old Red” prototype had a fiberglass monocoque body and suspension from a Chevrolet pickup truck. The entire setup is powered by a Volkswagen Lovesummer air-cooled four-cylinder powertrain.
When Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Beetle at Hitler’s request, he inadvertently laid the foundation for the Buggy. The idea was to create a reliable and affordable vehicle that could travel at 60 mph on newly built highways. The civilian Beetle had a military sibling known to the Nazis as the Type 82 Kübelwagen and to most of us as “The Thing”, which bears a striking resemblance to the Manx.
Old Red proved the off-road capabilities of the concept in Baja Mexico, setting a record of 39 hours and 56 minutes on a 1,000-mile trip from Tijuana to La Paz. Nobody but motorcyclists believed it was possible. This frenetic sprint evolved into what we know today as the Baja 1000, the toughest off-road race in North America.
From 1964 to 1971, the activities of BF Meyers & Co were short and sweet. Due to the high cost and complexity of the original kit, only about a dozen older red versions were sold. In the end, Meyers abandoned the Chevrolet suspension, designing a body that fit snugly into a conventional VW frame.
Immediately, the items became available to enthusiasts across the country. Like a boat, the smooth curves provide much-needed structural rigidity, while the arched fenders provide room for off-road tires. The feline posture inspired the name Isle of Man, which comes from a similarly compact feline.
The Isle of Man reached its height of pop culture prominence with Steve McQueen’s Thomas Crown novel. McQueen took actress Faye Dunway on a thrilling ride through the sand dunes of coastal Massachusetts. This scene only existed in the 1968 movie to show how tough Thomas Crown was. For example, I was sold.
In 1970, a controversial court decision changed everything. The judge ruled that the Manx design was not subject to copyright protection. Soon the market was flooded with cheaper fakes. Despite attempts to make models for professional groups such as resorts and lifeguards, BF Meyers & Co. ceased its activities.
Although only 6,000 of the original kit cars were made, they inspired an entire generation of off-road racers. The steel tubular version uses a giant Corvette engine instead of a compact VW powerplant. They have become a category of ATVs in hardcore modern Baja racing.
In 2000 Meyers Manx Inc. revived. The company released a high-end streamlined version of Meyers’ original design, still based on the Volkswagen Beetle.
In 2023, the company introduces the Manx 2.0, an electric version with a range of 300 miles. It’s more suited to green Hollywood than roaring classics. While the company hasn’t set an official price yet, they say the electric car is for rich people with multiple houses and multiple cars, so you get the idea.
For me, the original Meyers Manx embodied the California dream. A fusion of hot rod and surf culture, Manx shows what can happen when engineering and artistic flair merge into a rebellious spirit.
We focus on what really matters to us: the places we go, the people we meet, the cultures we meet, the adventures that await anyone who wants to step into the unknown, and the global success of preserving nature for the sake of future generations.