Iconic Meyers Manx dune buggy set for relaunch

The legendary Meyers Manx dune buggy is set to return to production following news that its creator, Bruce Meyers, has sold rights to his famous creation to a firm fronted by a former Volkswagen and Porsche designer.

Meyers has sold the iconic Meyers Manx brand after 56 years at the helm to Texan investment firm Trousdale Ventures, which has already installed Freeman Thomas as the Californian car-maker's new CEO.

Thomas is being touted as a good fit for the revived Meyers Manx as he brings nearly four decades' experience in the car industry working for Porsche, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford and VW where, coincidentally, he designed the 1994 Concept 1 that laid the blueprints for the Volkswagen Beetle reboot.

Thomas is now expected to breathe new life into the idiosyncratic Meyers Manx that has offered its fibreglass bodyshell kits based on the original Manx design since 1964.

Under new ownership, it's highly likely the dune buggy could return in fully-built retromod design, appealing to those who love the original's design but yearn for a safer, more modern driving experience.

Commenting on his new role as Meyers Manx CEO, Thomas said: "As a California native, I grew up on the beaches of Southern California, surrounded by its unique and creative lifestyle culture.  

"As I became an automotive designer, the philosophy of Bruce Meyers became a huge inspiration, and I'm sure I'm not alone in thanking him for injecting a huge dose of disruptive creativity into the automotive scene."