The life that Bruce Meyers had lived was full of adventures. The creator of the Volkswagen Beetle-based Meyers Manx dune buggy recently passed away. He was 94. While the Beetle is an icon, Bruce is a legend, with a legacy that lives on as a surfer, boat builder, inventor, racecar driver and war hero.
A Passion That Became An Inspiration
Born March 12, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, Bruce Franklin Meyers was the son of a mechanic and a Ford dealer. Growing up near popular Southern California surfing spots, Bruce's first passion nonetheless wasn't driving cars, but riding the waves. His passion on the beach eventually led Bruce to invent the Meyers Manx and win the inaugural Baja 1000.
Dropping out of high school, Bruce enlisted in the Merchant Marines, then the Navy. In fact, Bruce was aboard the USS Bunker Hill aircraft carrier when it was hit by kamikaze bombers near Okinawa, Japan, in May 11. Nearly 400 died, and Meyers was among those who rescued fellow shipmen on the sea – an act of a hero.
Old Red Manx And Baja 1000
Once the war was over, Bruce attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, which enabled him to continue his surfing passion. He went on to design and build boats using fiberglass. He soon noticed fellow Californians using panel-deprived VW Beetles to navigate the sand.
In 1964, Bruce transformed a Beetle into a specialized bug. Employing the Beetle's floorplan and running gear, Bruce installed a fiberglass tub and chrome surrounded bug-eye headlamps. The fender mounted turning lights and tail lights and front seats from the donor bug were fastened back in their respective locations in the new vehicle. The flat windshield was likely a boat part. The first buggy – dubbed Old Red -- was meant to be a fun, artistic and easy way of navigating the sand and the dunes.
Bruce then built 12 Manx units for his friends, and they went to Baja California for some dune-conquering adventures. Soon, orders for the Manx models and kits started to trickle. But it wasn't after Old Red won a 1,000-mile off-road race in Mexico (which was later dubbed the Baja 1000), that orders poured in heavily.
Most Replicated Car In History
Bruce and his company built more than 6,000 units of Meyers Manx until 1971. Copycats plagiarized his work and sold imitation buggies. According to the Historic Vehicle Association, the Meyers Manx is the most replicated car in history with more than 250,000 replicas built.
Nonetheless, these replicas failed to deter Bruce's rise as an icon. He is survived by his wife Winnie and daughter Julie.
Source: Volkswagen, Associated Press