1969 Volkswagen Beach Buggy

The idea for the first Volkswagen Beach Buggy was dreamt up by a Californian named Bruce Meyers, who had the inspired idea of using a shortened Beetle floorpan as the basis of a hopped-up off-road creation. The idea caught on and soon the Meyers Manx kits were selling in droves, proving popular anywhere there was sand or dirt and a thriving off-road culture. With its light weight, easily tuned engine and plenty of good, cheap examples lying around, the Beetle formed the perfect basis for a Beach Buggy and, as demand for the original Meyers Manx far exceeded output from the small factory, numerous copies began to appear on the market. The rear engine layout and light weight of the fibreglass buggy bodywork helped transfer most of the weight to the rear wheels, improving traction, while the rugged air-cooled engine had few cooling problems to cope with. Thanks to movie stars like Steve McQueen and Elvis Presley and Mattel's Hot Wheels models, the Beach Buggy rapidly cemented itself into popular culture. The Beach Buggy reached the height of its popularity in the late Sixties and early Seventies and since they have come back into fashion in recent years, good examples are now starting to fetch excellent prices. The Beach Buggy has a lot to offer, providing affordable, fun motoring and is a perfect runabout for anyone living on the coast.