Tow’d Edition! 1965 Meyers Manx
In the 1960s (and later), there were a lot of dune buggies out there, both manufactured and homemade. But if you were looking for the cream of the crop, it had to be the Meyers Manx, built by Bruce Meyers between 1964-71. They were powered by Volkswagen drivetrains and this one is the “Tow’d” edition, which means it has no fenders so it could be towed to the beach or wherever else. We’re told production of these numbered no more than 1,000 out of 6,000 overall and this one has been given a professional restoration. Located in Palm Desert, California, it’s being offered by a dealer here on eBay. The no reserve auction has reached $11,100 so far.
The Manx, named after a version of a cat with a bobbed tail, was the brainchild of California engineer, artist, boat builder, and surfer Bruce Meyers. He custom-built tons of these out of his shop from the middle ‘60s to the early ‘70s. Bruce passed away in 2021 at the age of 94. His products would be mimicked by other builders, but there is only one Meyers Manx. The Manx appeared in quite a few Hollywood movies and would win dozens of slalom races.
All Manx’s were made with one-piece fiberglass bodies designed to transport two people. They were all numbered and the seller’s Tow’d model is #1298 which comes with a certificate of authenticity from the Manx Registry. It’s even been autographed by Bruce himself. It was restored by Karl’s Customs in Phoenix, Arizona where the vehicle is titled and registered going back to June of 1965.
This buggy, along with others, was powered by a 1300cc VW engine made for the U.S. market, so it put out 50 hp. We understand that its output is higher than the later 1600cc motors VW built. The is no record of this dune buggy’s mileage, but we’re told it runs and drives great and has a new set of off-road wheels. The seller says it’s street legal in many states, but we don’t know which ones would give you any grieve, so buyers should do their homework on their state regulations.
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Comments
Well now? Could it be the real thing? I sure comments will start pouring in. Pretty sharp looking though with that bright red paint and shiny chrome. I guess the name is the selling point since it’s already way over the last two listed on this site.
God bless America
Real deal and very sharp. Buyer should do very well on this one
Real deal. Very sharp. Seller should do very well on this one!
Very sharp looking, also very illegal in my state as the rear wheels would have to be “fendered”, and then there go the looks.
No “grandfathering” on this issue in your state?
Here we go, can you imagine? From a time when this was good enough. “Dune” buggy was a misleading term, as people that lived nowhere near a beach, could have a blast off roading. Fact is, I bet it was these that started the whole ATV off road scene. The precursor to the modern AWD ATV’s( now with P/S, A/C-heat, GPS,,,and a couple other “letter” things)with long travel suspensions and motors with twice the output and easily cost 5 figures. VW chassis were a dime a dozen, you could easily build one in your garage. Meyers kits started at $349. How we ever lost our way from these humble beginnings, I’ll never know. Cool find, but $11g’s for something you could have built for $500 bucks then,,,sigh,,
The reason it was called Tow’d was because it could be towed. It used VW suspension but had a tube frame with a tube with a hitch that would sled out so you could latch onto the back of your pickup truck. It would lift the front wheels off the ground and off you’d go to the dunes.
But driving on the road? Yep, your state rules apply.
Yes very nice, over $18k now with 4 days left.
this is a sharp one…..
Back in the day had a landlord that built a Meyers Manx dune buggy. Funny thing was we were over 1000 miles from the nearest sand dunes but it was fun to ride around in. Few years later I had the chance to ride in another one out in Calif on the dunes and it was a blast. Had what I think were airplane tires on it and it floated on the sand.
During that same time I saw a couple of 4 seat dune buggies, I don’t know if the where Manx or not, but it was convenient to throw the kids in the back and hit the dunes.