The Buggy was born in the United States in 1963, invented by Bruce MEYERS, a Californian surfer looking for a beach vehicle to transport his boards. Inspired by the creations of young Americans from shortened and stripped Jeeps, he decided to design a lighter vehicle, a polyester monocoque, placed on a tubular chassis and powered by a Volkswagen Beetle or Corvair engine-gearbox assembly. Very quickly Bruce MEYERS realizes the success of his buggy and decides to market it as a kit or complete, by making some improvements. It replaces the tubular chassis with a shortened VW Beetle chassis, from which it already takes many elements. The VW Manx was born! Bruce thus names his Buggy after the name given to the tailless cat of the Isle of Man. The idea is brilliant: the old Beetle are easily available at low cost, its ready-to-assemble kit will be a hit with do-itors who will devote themselves to their heart's content assembling their leisure vehicle. Eternal dissatisfied, Bruce MEYERS feels that he can do even better than the Manx and adds to his range a small Buggy: the VW Tow'd (literally towable that many will call the Crapaud or Toad). Simpler in design, it returns to the tubular frame, solid and easy to manufacture, the polyester shell is replaced by thermoformed plastic. Despite an innovative and inexpensive concept to manufacture, the complicated management of its production and the finances forced the closure of the factory in 1971. Nearly 5,300 Buggies Meyers Manx were produced between 1965 and 1971. Quickly copied, so many the demand becomes great, the idea and the Buggy of Bruce will escape him. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Buggies are now in circulation all over the world. The best known of the French Buggies was manufactured and homologated for road use (Modified Type gray card for modified) by LM Sovra near Orléans, a Buggy very inspired by the Manx. Let's not forget the fabulous franchisor that is the Baboulin: the Moncorgé and the Belgian Apal.
