To understand the essence of the Meyers Manx, one must first understand the soul of its creator. This vehicle was not merely an assembly of mechanical parts; it was the physical embodiment of a life philosophy, a manifesto of freedom forged on the California coast, in the workshops of hot-rodders, and in the fiery crucible of World War II.

Bruce Meyers didn’t just build a dune buggy; he infused fiberglass and steel with the essence of his life—a fusion of art, adventure, engineering, and an indomitable spirit. The Manx became a cultural artifact, perfectly capturing the 1960s zeitgeist with its thirst for freedom and fun, while simultaneously being a revolutionary, hardcore racing machine that birthed an entire genre of motorsport.

The Soul of a Sun-Drenched Revolution
The story of the Manx is a tale of paradox. Its stunning success and instant transformation into a pop-culture icon directly led to the collapse of the original company, becoming a cautionary tale of innovation, imitation, and the fragile nature of creative ownership. Yet, the Manx’s legacy proved more resilient than its initial commercial venture. This is the story of a man who created a legend, lost it, and, decades later, found the strength to resurrect it for a new generation. This is the comprehensive story of Bruce Meyers and his cheerful little car that left an indelible mark on automotive history and continues to bring smiles to faces around the world.

The Making of a Master — The Life of Bruce Meyers
The foundations of Bruce Meyers’s identity were laid by two powerful Southern California forces: the vast Pacific Ocean and the roar of custom engines.

The Beach Boy and the Hot-Rodder
Born on March 12, 1926, in Los Angeles, Meyers was immersed in car culture from the very beginning. His father, Jack Meyers, was not just a car salesman; he was a pioneer who convinced Henry Ford himself of the need for a dealership network to sell Model T cars, which until then were ordered from a catalog like furniture. Jack embarked on a cross-country journey and eventually established the first Ford dealership in San Francisco, forever linking the Meyers family to the automotive industry of the West.

Soon, the family moved and settled in Manhattan Beach, where young Bruce found his first love—the ocean. He became the quintessential “beach boy,” spending all his time on the pier, surfing, and living a life that seemed like an endless summer. This idyll was marred by tragedy: his ten-year-old brother died, swept out to sea by the waves.

Heartbroken, his parents forbade Bruce from entering the water, but the call of the ocean was stronger than their prohibition. He would sneak off to the beach and return home with wet hair and trunks full of sand, ready for the inevitable spanking and grounding. This early defiance was not just youthful rebellion; it demonstrated a powerful, innate drive for freedom and a rejection of constraints that would become a defining feature of his entire life and his creations. Eventually, he became a lifeguard, turning his passion into a profession and living out of his old ’39 Ford van, with surfboards constantly sticking out the back door.

Parallel to the ocean, his second passion was cars. Like many teenagers in Southern California, Meyers was consumed by the hot-rodding culture. It was an era of do-it-yourself, where a few trips to the junkyard could yield enough parts to build a race car. Just a couple of hours’ drive from the beach were the dry lake beds, which became the testing grounds for these homemade machines. Meyers regularly went there to test the limits of his creations.

These seemingly disparate pursuits—surfing and hot-rodding—were in fact two sides of the same coin. They represented a synthesis of opposing forces that formed the basis of the Manx’s uniqueness. On one hand, there was the fluid, artistic, and free-flowing culture of surfing and boat building, which valued graceful curves and harmony with nature. On the other, the hard-edged, mechanical, and performance-oriented world of hot-rodding, focused on power, speed, and function. Most people chose one of these worlds.
Bruce Meyers lived in both. Later, when he began working with fiberglass in boat construction, he found the perfect material to unite these two worlds.
The design of the Manx is a direct reflection of this synthesis: its body, with its sensual, complex curves, resembles the hull of a boat or the shape of a surfboard, while its chassis and purpose were a pure embodiment of the hot-rod spirit—light, fast, and built for maximum driving pleasure. The Manx was not just a car; it was a hot rod for the beach, a surfboard for the land.

Trial by Fire — The Sailor and War Hero
The carefree days on the beaches and racing on the salt flats were interrupted by America’s entry into World War II. Like many young men of his generation, Bruce was eager to go to the front. He first enlisted in the Merchant Marine and then, in 1944, at the age of 18, was drafted into the U.S. Navy. His experience on the water predetermined his assignment to the fleet, where he became a gunner in a turret on the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill.

On May 11, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, his life changed forever. Two Japanese kamikaze planes crashed into the aircraft carrier, turning it into a blazing inferno. The attack killed nearly 400 crew members.

When the captain gave the order to abandon ship, Meyers was in his element. The years spent in the surf off the California coast had given him skills that saved not only his own life.
In the water amidst the wreckage and fire, he saw a burned pilot who was drowning and, without hesitation, swam to his aid, keeping him afloat until rescuers arrived.
Later, aboard the rescue ship, he humbly downplayed his actions, telling his commander he had done nothing special, as it was the same thing he did working as a lifeguard on the beach. Moreover, he volunteered for the skeleton crew that returned to the still-smoldering carrier to help bring the crippled ship to port.

This experience of surviving a catastrophe and the heroism he displayed left an indelible mark on his character. It didn’t just make him a hero; it instilled in him a deep understanding of resilience and self-sufficiency.
The “indomitable spirit” that many noted in him became not just a personality trait, but a design principle. He understood that in a critical situation, survival depends on simplicity, reliability, and the ability to fix something with whatever is at hand. This philosophy became the DNA of the Meyers Manx.
The buggy was designed to conquer the harsh and unpredictable expanses of the Baja peninsula, where a mechanical failure could be a matter of life and death. The choice of the Volkswagen Beetle chassis was no accident: it was a simple, ubiquitous, and easily repairable platform in the field. The spirit of the Manx Club members, for whom a wheel falling off is an “opportunity to try a new driving technique,” is a direct reflection of their creator’s philosophy. Meyers built a vehicle that could not only get you into trouble but, more importantly, could get you out of it. He created a survivor, just as he was himself.

The Adventurer and the Craftsman
Returning from the war, Bruce Meyers tried to resume a carefree California life, but the thirst for adventure called him back to the sea. He enrolled in art school, developing his innate talent for drawing, but soon joined a crew of adventurers heading to the South Sea islands. They planned to start a business trading coconuts and pearls on an atoll in the Cook Islands. Although their commercial plans failed, Meyers fell in love with the islands, which he said retained the charm that had drawn Paul Gauguin to Tahiti in the 19th century. He learned to handle the local outrigger canoes and immersed himself in the fading rhythm of island life, spending nearly two years there.

This experience further strengthened his connection to the sea and to simple, functional design. Upon returning to California, he began building and selling sailing catamarans, and it was here that he perfected the final skill needed to create the Manx. He started working with fiberglass—a relatively new material at the time. His talent as a designer and builder was quickly noticed by Jack Jensen, one of the leading sailboat manufacturers at Jensen Marine. Jensen hired Meyers, and he helped create the tooling for a very successful series of fast fiberglass yachts called the “Cal”.

Fiberglass became the missing link for Meyers, allowing him to unite all his talents. As an artist, he had a vision for an aesthetically perfect form. As a boat builder, he understood how to use complex curves to provide structural strength. As a hot-rodder, he knew his way around mechanics. Traditional sheet metal for cars required massive industrial presses to create smooth, sensual curves.
Fiberglass, however, was an artist’s language—it could be shaped into almost any form imaginable. Working at Jensen Marine was not just a job; it was the discovery of the perfect medium of expression that allowed the artist, sailor, and engineer within him to collaborate on a single project.
A demonstration of his skill and resourcefulness was the construction of his own catamaran, the Hinano. When the boat was finished, he faced a problem: his workshop was several blocks from the water. In true “Tom Sawyer” fashion, he threw a party and convinced the inebriated guests to help him carry the boat to the shore. At the beach, they found a sign prohibiting the launching of yachts, but that didn’t stop them. They simply pulled out the sign and launched the Hinano.
This episode perfectly illustrates Meyers’s character: a combination of charm, practical ingenuity, and a healthy disregard for unnecessary rules—qualities that would be fully expressed in his most famous creation.
Genesis of an Icon
By the early 1960s, the sand dunes of Pismo Beach had become a mecca for a new kind of recreation. However, the existing “dune buggies” were far from perfect. They were crude, heavy monsters, nicknamed “water pumpers” for their water-cooled engines.

Typically built on the chassis of full-sized sedans or pickup trucks, they were equipped with powerful V8 engines and were capable of great power, but their weight and bulk often caused them to get hopelessly stuck in the sand.

From “Water Pumper” to “Old Red”
Bruce Meyers, observing these clumsy machines, noticed an alternative. Local enthusiasts had discovered that a Volkswagen Beetle, stripped of most of its body panels, had remarkable traction on sand due to its light weight and rear-engine layout. Meyers saw the potential but was artistically offended by the primitive look of these “home-builds.” He despised them for their lack of style and decided to create something entirely different: a lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, and high-performance vehicle that “could take you anywhere” and didn’t look like a “used Jeep.”

In his small workshop in Newport Beach in 1963-1964, he set to work on his vision. The result was “Old Red”—the first prototype and a revolutionary step in automotive design. It was not just a body mounted on a chassis. Meyers, using his boat-building experience, created a full fiberglass monocoque, where the body and frame were a single unit. A steel subframe was integrated into the fiberglass shell to mount the VW components. To improve off-road performance, he abandoned the standard VW suspension and used stronger, longer-travel trailing arms from a Chevrolet pickup. “Old Red” was a brilliant piece of engineering, light, strong, and incredibly capable.

However, this brilliance had a downside. The monocoque construction was extremely labor-intensive and expensive to produce. It required discarding most of the donor Volkswagen, including its sturdy platform chassis, making the final product unprofitable. Meyers sold only 12 of these kits, quickly realizing that his creation, though technically perfect, was a commercial failure.

It was at this moment that the true genius of Bruce Meyers emerged. It lay not in creating a complex prototype, but in his ability to admit a mistake and radically simplify the concept. Instead of trying to improve “Old Red,” he took a step back and rethought the entire idea. He realized that Ferdinand Porsche had already created a nearly perfect platform: the light, strong, and simple VW Beetle chassis.
Why reinvent the wheel when you could just give it a new, exciting look? This shift from a complex monocoque to a simple body mounted on a shortened VW chassis became the most important engineering and business decision in the history of the Manx.
It was not a compromise, but the key that unlocked the door to mass success. Meyers shifted the focus from a product for experts to a product for everyone, and it was this decision that turned his idea into a phenomenon.

Perfecting the Formula — The Production Manx
Realizing the potential of a simplified design, Meyers developed the production version of his buggy that would become a worldwide icon. The basis was the standard platform chassis of a VW Beetle, which had to be shortened to achieve the characteristic proportions and agility of the Manx. A lightweight and stylish fiberglass body was then mounted on this shortened chassis.

The appearance of the Manx was the result of a blend of different influences that Meyers masterfully combined into a cohesive whole. The high, curved fenders were inspired by the German Volkswagen Schwimmwagen amphibious car, the separate “bug-eye” headlights by the military Kübelwagen, and the overall openness and minimalism by European beach cars like the Fiat 500 Jolly. At the same time, the design included purely practical and even humorous elements. For example, the top surfaces of the fenders were made perfectly flat to conveniently hold beer bottles during a break on the beach.

The name “Manx” was not chosen by chance. It referred to the breed of tailless cats from the Isle of Man, emphasizing the car’s short, stocky, and overhang-free silhouette. Additionally, the name carried racing connotations thanks to the famous British Norton Manx motorcycles that dominated the Isle of Man TT races, subtly hinting at the buggy’s sporting potential.
To sell his creation, Meyers founded the company B.F. Meyers & Co.. It is important to note that this company has no connection to the B.F. Myers Furniture company from Tennessee, mentioned in some sources, which is a common misconception.
The business model of B.F. Meyers & Co. was based on selling kit cars—sets for self-assembly. This made the car extremely affordable. Two main kit options were offered:
- Kit “A”: Priced at $350, it was intended for the most avid do-it-yourselfers. It included only the three main fiberglass components: the body, hood, and dashboard. The owner had to find or fabricate everything else themselves.
- Kit “B”: For $530, the buyer received a more complete set of parts needed to convert an old Volkswagen into a full-fledged Manx.
The total cost of a finished car, including the purchase of a used VW donor, often did not exceed $1,000, making it accessible to a wide range of enthusiasts.
After its debut in 1964, the Meyers Manx instantly became a classic and the accepted standard for a dune buggy. Its appearance on the covers of leading automotive magazines such as Hot Rod, Car & Driver, and Popular Mechanics created an explosion in demand. Meyers received hundreds of orders, and his small company was unable to meet the overwhelming interest. The market was ready for a revolution, and the Manx became its banner. As a shop girl once aptly remarked upon seeing a picture of the Manx: “So that’s what a dune buggy is!”. Meyers’s car didn’t just fit into an existing niche—it became its very definition.

Conquering Baja — The Birth of a Racing Legend
By 1967, the Meyers Manx was already popular among California enthusiasts, but to the rest of the world, it remained a curiosity.

“Buggy Beats Bike” — The Baja Run Record
Bruce Meyers understood that to turn his creation into a true legend, something more than just a stylish design and a fun character was needed. A feat was required that would prove the superiority of his concept. And the wild and untamed land of the Baja peninsula in Mexico became that proving ground.
At that time, the unofficial kings of Baja were motorcyclists. The record for traversing the approximately 1,600 km (about 950 miles) route from Tijuana in the north to La Paz in the south belonged to them and stood at just under 40 hours. Four-wheeled vehicles were considered too heavy and unwieldy for such a task.
Meyers and his friend Ted Mangels decided to challenge this belief. The idea was born during a friendly get-together, where a debate arose between the “motorcycle guys” and the “buggy guys.”

Their plan was audacious and based on careful calculation. They acknowledged that the Manx was inferior to motorcycles in top speed. However, the buggy had two key advantages: the ability to carry a significantly larger fuel supply, which reduced time spent on refueling, and the presence of a navigator who could work with maps on the move, saving precious minutes on stops for navigation.8 As their “warhorse,” they chose the very first prototype—”Old Red.”
In April 1967, they set off.
Their journey was grueling. Of the 1,600 km route, only about 200 km were paved. The rest was a mix of rocky trails, mud, deep sand, and dusty roads. During the run, their brakes failed, and they nearly destroyed the transmission, but they stubbornly pushed on.
The result exceeded all expectations. Meyers and Mangels covered the distance from La Paz to Tijuana in 34 hours and 45 minutes, beating the motorcyclists’ record by more than five hours. This victory was not just a racing achievement; it was a masterful, though perhaps unintentional, act of publicity that spawned a new sport. The news, spread via a catchy press release with the headline “Buggy Beats Bike in Baja,” instantly circled the globe. The phone in Meyers’s workshop “began to ring off the hook”. Until that moment, off-road racing in Baja consisted of informal time trials. The Manx’s record run attracted such immense attention that it served as a direct catalyst for the creation of a professional racing organization. This run didn’t just bring fame to the Manx; it became a marketing campaign that launched the entire sport of professional off-road racing.

The First Mexican 1000
The triumph in Baja immediately caught the attention of enterprising individuals. Inspired by Meyers’s record, a former Marine named Ed Pearlman founded NORRA (the National Off-Road Racing Association).
Just a few months later, in November 1967, NORRA organized the first-ever official off-road race on the Baja peninsula—the Mexican 1000, which would later become the world-famous Baja 1000.
Sixty-eight crews lined up at the start, representing a motley crew of factory-backed Ford Broncos, Jeeps, motorcycles, and various home-builds, including even a wrecked ’66 Chevrolet whose owners planned to sell it after the finish to pay for their trip home. Bruce Meyers, as the “man of the hour,” fielded a team of five Manx buggies.

The race proved to be a brutal test of endurance for both man and machine. Participants faced engine failures, punctured radiators, and bent wheels. Some wrecked their cars, and one crew even hit a cow. When the course turned into a series of rocks and sand traps, it became clear that this was one of the most dangerous races in the world.
And once again, the light and nimble Meyers Manx proved its superiority.
The first to cross the finish line in La Paz was a red Manx driven by Vic Wilson and Ted Mangels, the same heroes of the record run. They didn’t just win; they set a new, stunning course record of 27 hours and 38 minutes.
The Manx’s victory in the very first Baja 1000 race was the final and irrefutable confirmation of the genius of Bruce Meyers’s concept. It proved that his small, lightweight buggy, built on the base of a “people’s car,” could outperform more powerful and expensive machines backed by factory teams in the most challenging and grueling race of a new format. The legend was born and immediately crowned.

The Crash and Its Aftermath
After the triumph of 1967, the Manx team was undoubtedly expected to return to defend its title. For the 1968 race, Bruce Meyers prepared even more seriously. Understanding that success had attracted serious competitors to the sport, he developed a new, more powerful, and extreme version of the buggy, designed exclusively for racing. It was named the “Tow’d” (from the English word towed), as it was not street-legal and had to be transported to the starting line on a trailer.
The “Tow’d” differed from the standard Manx with wider tires, larger wheels, a more powerful engine (some versions used an industrial V-4 from Ford), and was built on a special tube frame rather than a VW chassis.
In the 1968 race, Meyers, in his new “Tow’d,” found himself in a fierce battle for the lead with motorsport legend Parnelli Jones, who was piloting a specially prepared Ford Bronco. Adrenaline and racing fervor took over. After Jones overtook him on a paved section, Meyers, back on the dirt, rushed in pursuit.
In the heat of the battle, at a speed of about 90-100 km/h (55-60 mph), he drove into a cloud of dust near a dry riverbed, misjudged the trajectory, and crashed head-on into the opposite bank of the dry river (arroyo).
The consequences were catastrophic. The “Tow’d” was wrecked, and Meyers himself suffered severe injuries. Both of his legs were broken in several places, effectively shattered. His agonizing evacuation from the desert, which took 22 hours in a bumpy Ford van to a hospital in San Diego, became a legend in itself. The accident left him with a permanent limp and effectively ended his racing career.

There is a tragic irony in this story. The “Tow’d” was created as a response to the increased competition that the success of the Manx itself had generated.
In an attempt to stay at the top of the sport he had created, Meyers built a more extreme machine. But it was this very machine, which pushed him into a direct confrontation with a world-class professional racer, that became the cause of his retirement from major sports.
Thus, the very success of the Manx created the conditions for the tragic end of its creator’s racing career.

The Meyers Manx in the Zeitgeist — A Cultural Phenomenon
The success of the Meyers Manx was not limited to the racetrack. More importantly, it transcended the automotive world to become a true cultural phenomenon, a symbol of an entire era.

Hollywood’s Favorite Buggy
The Manx perfectly embodied the carefree, adventurous spirit of 1960s California. It was not just a car; it was, in Meyers’s own words, a “visualization of friendship and love,” a machine that delivered “smiles for miles.”1 Its cheerful, almost cartoonish appearance evoked instant affection and was associated with freedom, sun, and fun.
This “cool factor” did not go unnoticed in Hollywood, which quickly made the Manx its favorite. Its icon status was definitively cemented in 1968 when the buggy appeared in two landmark films. Elvis Presley drove a Manx in the movie “Live a Little, Love a Little.” But its appearance in “The Thomas Crown Affair” became truly legendary.
A Manx specially built for the film with a powerful Chevrolet Corvair engine, driven by the “King of Cool” himself, Steve McQueen, with Faye Dunaway beside him, became one of the most memorable automotive images in cinema history. The scenes of McQueen recklessly racing the bright orange buggy along the beach forever linked the Manx with an image of rebellious elegance and adventure.

The Manx was not just a product; it was a media amplifier. Its photogenic appearance, racing victories, and association with celebrities created a self-sustaining cycle of popularity. The victory in Baja made it a hero of automotive magazines. Its appearance in films with Steve McQueen gave it unparalleled cultural weight. Every media appearance, whether on a magazine cover or in a movie frame, enhanced its desirability, leading to increased sales and, in turn, more media appearances. Ultimately, the Manx became synonymous with the very concept of a “dune buggy.” If someone talked about a beach buggy, they were most likely picturing a Meyers Manx.

The Copycat Wars and the Fall of an Empire
It was the overwhelming popularity and brilliant simplicity of the Manx’s design that led to the downfall of the original company. Success spawned a legion of imitators. Since the Manx body was made of fiberglass, any company with access to an original buggy could easily make a mold from it (“splash” it) and start producing copies.
The market was literally flooded with cheap imitations. It is estimated that about 300 copycat companies emerged, producing over 250,000 copies and “look-alike” buggies worldwide.
For comparison, the original B.F. Meyers & Co. produced about 7,000 kits of various models during its entire existence, including approximately 5,280 kits of the classic Manx. This flood of cheap, often low-quality knockoffs undermined Meyers’s business.

Bruce Meyers tried to protect his creation. He obtained a patent for his design and sued the copycat companies to stop the infringement of his rights. However, he was dealt a devastating blow. During the legal proceedings, a judge made a controversial and fatal ruling: the patent was declared invalid. The basis was the fact that the prototype “Old Red” had been in “public use” (participating in races and being displayed) before the patent application was filed. This decision opened the floodgates for anyone to copy his design.

Faced with the inability to compete with the flood of cheap knockoffs, as well as other problems, including internal company disputes and demands from tax authorities, a disillusioned Bruce Meyers left his own firm in 1970. In 1971, B.F. Meyers & Co. finally closed its doors. At the asset liquidation auction, Bruce Meyers’s dream was valued at “pennies on the dollar.” Thus, at the peak of the dune buggy’s popularity, the company that invented it and gave it its name ceased to exist, a victim of its own phenomenal success.

The Long Road Back — Revival and Legacy
After the collapse of his company, Bruce Meyers was deeply disillusioned. He stepped away from the buggy world, which, ironically, was experiencing a boom thanks to his own idea. He spent the following years in the shadows, restoring cars and dedicating several years to building a secluded beach house in his beloved Baja. It seemed the story of the Manx was over for him forever.

The Wilderness Years and the French Connection
The comeback began with an unexpected invitation. In 1994, Jacky Morel, publisher of the French magazine Super VW Magazine, invited Bruce and his wife Winnie to a major Volkswagen enthusiast gathering, the Super VW Nationals, in France. Meyers, unaware of his popularity in Europe, agreed.

What he saw in France stunned him. He was celebrated not as a failed businessman, but as a hero and the creator of a legend. The culmination was a parade of buggies on the famous Le Mans racetrack, which he led. Seeing hundreds of his creations and the ecstatic faces of their owners, Meyers was moved to tears. It was in France, far from the American market flooded with knockoffs and overshadowed by the bitterness of legal defeat, that he was able to see his legacy in a new light. Here, his story was not one of failure, but of triumph. Jacky Morel convinced him that the world still loved the Manx and that it was time for him to return, start a new club, and perhaps even create a new buggy.

This trip became a therapeutic event. It allowed Meyers to separate his creation from the personal trauma of defeat. The external recognition, pure and free from the baggage of the past, reignited his creative spark.
I changed, and thanks to Jacky Morel for that, he gave me hope.Meyers later recalled.
The trip to France was the catalyst that brought the creator back to his creation.
The Rebirth of Meyers Manx
Inspired by the warm reception in Europe, Bruce Meyers returned to California full of determination. The first step was to build a community. Together with his wife Winnie, he founded the Manx Dune Buggy Club. The club not only united owners of original Manx buggies and their numerous copies from around the world but also allowed Meyers to gauge interest in a possible revival of the brand.

In 1999-2000, they took the next step and founded a new company—Meyers Manx, Inc.. The new firm started by producing spare parts for classic buggies and released a limited edition of 100 “Classic Manx” kits, as close to the original as possible. But Bruce was not just a guardian of heritage; he remained an innovator. He began work on a completely new model that was to be an evolution of his original idea.

The result was the Manxter, a new-generation buggy introduced in the early 2000s. The Manxter was designed with the lessons of the past and modern requirements in mind. A key difference was that it was designed to be installed on a standard, un-shortened VW Beetle chassis. This significantly simplified the assembly process for enthusiasts, as it no longer required cutting and welding the frame. Additionally, the Manxter offered a more spacious body with a 2+2 seating configuration, making it more practical.

Bruce was thrilled with his new creation. He wanted this car to “bring more smiles than any other”. In 2003, at the age of 77, he returned to the Baja 1000 race behind the wheel of a new Manxter. Although he did not finish that race (nor in several subsequent attempts), his participation itself was a triumphant return. The racing community, which he had effectively created almost 40 years earlier, greeted him as a living legend, the “godfather” of off-road racing. Bruce Meyers and his Manx were back in the game.

The Third Act — A New Era of Innovation
The legacy of Bruce Meyers entered its third era in late 2020. Sensing the twilight of his life approaching, Bruce and Winnie Meyers made the decision to secure the future of their creation. In November 2020, they sold the Meyers Manx company to the investment firm Trousdale Ventures, led by car collector and Manx owner Phillip Sarofim. This ensured that the brand would continue to live and evolve. Bruce Meyers passed away on February 19, 2021, at the age of 94, leaving behind a thriving legacy.

The new leadership, now under the name Meyers Manx, LLC, was headed by iconic automotive designer Freeman Thomas, known for his work on cars like the Volkswagen New Beetle. The new company’s strategy is to carefully preserve the heritage while simultaneously introducing modern technologies. Today’s product lineup reflects this dual approach.
- “Remastered” Classics: The company offers updated kits of classic Manx models. These are not just copies, but “reissued” versions made using modern technologies, which ensures superior fit and finish, making the assembly and ownership experience even more enjoyable.
- Manx 2.0 EV: The flagship of the new era is a fully electric buggy. The Manx 2.0 EV retains the iconic lines and spirit of the original but reinterprets it for the 21st century with environmental requirements and modern technologies in mind. This is a bold step that proves that the philosophy of fun and freedom laid down by Meyers can exist in an electric future.

The legacy of Bruce Meyers lives on not only in new cars. His original prototype, “Old Red,” was officially added to the National Historic Vehicle Register of the United States, recognizing its exceptional importance to American history. The brand continues to be in the spotlight at the world’s most prestigious automotive events, such as the 60th-anniversary celebration of the model at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where dozens of buggies, including Steve McQueen’s famous car, participated in a parade.

The Endless Smile of Meyers Manx
The story of the Meyers Manx is inextricably linked to the life of Bruce Meyers himself. It is a tale of how a unique combination of passions—for the ocean and cars, for art and engineering—was embodied in one simple yet brilliant creation. The Manx became a reflection of his own journey: a path of resilience forged in the flames of war; a path of artistic vision honed in boat building; and a path of an irrepressible thirst for adventure born on the California beaches.

The Manx succeeded not only because of what it was—a light, fast, and affordable car. It succeeded because of what it symbolized. It became an icon not because it was just a kit car, but because it spawned a global cultural movement, created an entire motorsport from scratch, and became a canvas for self-expression for thousands of enthusiasts. The paradox of its commercial failure in the face of overwhelming popularity only underscores the uniqueness of its legacy: the Manx was too good, too simple, and too loved to be confined to a single company.

Today, under new leadership, the spirit of the Manx lives on, adapting to new times with the advent of electric versions but retaining its core essence. Bruce Meyers has passed away, but his legacy is more than just fiberglass and metal. It is a philosophy embodied in a car that continues to deliver “smiles for miles” to a new generation of adventurers. Ultimately, the enduring appeal of the Manx lies in the simple yet profound promise it has always made: the promise of freedom, fun, and the pure, unadulterated pleasure of the road, wherever it may lead.

Official Meyers Manx Model Lineup (1964-Present)
Model Name | Production Period | Key Characteristics | Approximate Number Produced |
Manx (Monocoque) | 1964 | Fiberglass monocoque, Chevrolet suspension | 12 |
Manx (on VW chassis) | 1965–1971 | Body on shortened VW Beetle chassis | ~5,280 |
Tow’d | 1968–1971 | Tube frame, racing design, not street legal | ~1,000 |
Manx SR (Street Roadster) | 1970–1971 | Aerodynamic body for roads, shortened VW chassis | ~200 (B.F. Meyers & Co.) |
Resorter / Turista | ~1970–1971 | 4-seater, for resorts, on full-size VW chassis | 75 |
Utility | ~1970–1971 | Version for services (lifeguards, forestry), with cargo bed | 3 |
Kuebelwagen Replica | ~1971 | Replica of German staff car, full-size chassis | 1 |
Classic Manx (Revival) | 2000–2020 | Limited edition, as close to original as possible | 100 |
Manxter 2+2 | 2002–2020 | Modern design, 4 seats, on standard (un-shortened) VW chassis | ~550 (all 2nd gen models) |
Manx 2.0 EV | 2022–present | Fully electric powertrain, modern design | N/A |
Remastered Classic | 2020–present | “Reissued” classic model with improved finish | N/A |
Resorter NEV | 2023–present | Neighborhood Electric Vehicle | N/A |