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Surfers adapted many things to their lifestyle. Transportation-wise, there was the “Woody,” essentially a station wagon that had been souped-up and modified for carrying surfboards. Then, in the ‘60s, Bruce Meyers, one of the original California surfers, used his skills at building boats to make a fiberglass body for highly modified VW running gear and created a saucy, agile “dune-runner” that ran circles around its much larger and heavier predecessors. Taking advantage of the excellent traction a rear-engine, rear-wheel layout affords, the light little buggy could scamper right up to the top of a 40-degree sandbank! Who needed 4-wheel drive?
FM has a reputation for putting out images of “offbeat” vehicles and this little charmer is no exception. Thankfully, for us 1:24 scale collectors, they didn’t opt for the larger 1:18 scale to enhance the features of what is a tiny vehicle compared to a full-size car. Happily, FM didn’t stint on the features they offered for such a “dirt-simple” mode of transportation. Along with the expected full-suspension and above-average undercarriage and interior detailing, a top-up top, a long, whip-type dune flag, and a surfboard are added for good measure. The chromed, mag-style wheels are spot-on, as are the various chromed “nerf bars” and rollbar. And the fiberglass body’s metallic gold paint is flawless.
The Meyers Manx Dune Buggy wasn’t just cute. It won numerous slalom events, the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb, and set a record for traversing the length of the Baja Peninsula (34 hours and 45 minutes). Just looking at this perky little image makes me want to throw some Beach Boys CD’s into the player and imagine myself bouncing along the California dunes under a blue sky and bright sun, looking for the perfect wave. The issue price is $69.
(12/20/2002)
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