Bruce Meyers, the quintessential West Coast artist whose invention of the Meyers Manx buggy in the early 1960s shaped automotive and auto culture, died on Friday at the age of 94 at his home in Valley Center, California.
Widely known for his creation that still provides “smiles for miles” to countless enthusiasts around the world, Meyers was also a surfer, sailor, guitarist / guitarist, artist, engineer and founder of the entire off-road and industry lifestyle. Born on March 12, 1926, he was introduced to the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) in 1978.
Working in 1964 in his old garage in Newport Beach, California, Meyers originally created a fluid fiberglass body to fit an old Volkswagen floor plate. Using much of the VW’s transmission, suspension and other parts, the first car was eventually called Meyers Manx. In mid-1967, Meyers and his friend Ted Mangels drove the car – dubbed the “Old Red” – from La Paz to Tijuana in five full hours faster than previous trans-Baja trips on motorcycles. The feat not only drew attention around the world, but also resulted in the formation of the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA), an entity that created and promoted the first 1000 Mexican that year.
Considered the first true professional race in the desert, the inaugural NORRA Mexican 1000 was won by Mangels and Vic Wilson in a Meyers Manx with factory support.
The Meyers Manx set off huge automotive and lifestyle fashion in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the company eventually producing more than 7,000 cars, but it also succumbed to a huge industry that ended Bruce’s idea of building 350,000 copies from around 300 companies worldwide.
“When Bruce converted the first VW into a Manx, the world fell in love with the platform’s economical practicality,” noted current Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli. “But, above all, it was the“ cool ”factor that sold Meyers Manx. The idea was that you would magically transform yourself into a beautiful movie star by exploring Baja’s surfing waves by simply going up and pinning the boards on top. Bruce didn’t just invent a vehicle; he invented the off-road lifestyle. “
It was a way of life enjoyed by the legendary off-road pioneer until very recently, when medical challenges and the pandemic kept him at home. Bruce and his wife Winnie still oversaw the Meyer Manx business that sold several kits – old and with new features – as well as accessories, parts and merchandise authorized by the factory. The company was sold to Troutsdale Ventures in November 2020.