1966 Meyers Manx
RM Sotheby’s, Sand Lots online auction, USA 25 May – 1 June
In the early 1960s, American highways were mostly filled with domestic brands, but Volkswagen’s venerable Beetle really made inroads into the marketplace. The VWs had a reputation for being tough, but even they could succumb to rust – or accidents. This is where engineer and surfer Bruce F Meyers stepped in, with a little help from the growing surfing culture and California dream/endless summer lifestyle.
Meyers developed a kit that involved removing almost all of the VW’s body, shortening the chassis, and adding wider wheels and a roll-over bar. This lightweight – and distinctly un-weatherproof! – glassfibre-bodied beach buggy was a weekend (or five) DIY project that appealed to many Americans of the time. Early advertising showed Meyers behind the wheel of a Manx in mid-flight over a sand dune; it was a pitch-perfect product that was in the right place at the right time. It also had real street cred, thanks to winning the very first Mexican 1000 (now Baja 1000) offroad race, besting other cars, trucks and motorcycles. Depending on where you lived, the Manx was even street-legal.
In the end, the Manx was a victim of its own success, with dozens of imitators popping up in factories and garages worldwide. As many as 6000 examples were built, but Meyers was unable to secure a patent for his idea and the company succumbed to bankruptcy. This Lime Green 1966 Meyers Manx (titled as a 1959 Volkswagen) is said to be less than 150 units into production, and sold for $37,400. It’s a well-kept example, said to have its original gel-coat, and was a bargain at that price.