Meyers Manx updated its classic dune buggy design for the first time in decades

The legendary Meyers Manx emerged in the early 1960s as a funky dune buggy with VW Beetle running gear. Though it’s one of the most recognizable kit-type vehicles around, the original design hasn’t been updated since the 1970s. That’s changing with the Meyers Manx Remastered Kit, a 3D-scanned, easier-to-build modernization of the open-top classic.

The new Manx updates the original fiberglass design with a locking rear trunk and integrated wiring tubes. Most of the Remastered Kit’s upgrades focus on improving the build experience. Digital scanning should help everything line up more accurately for easier at-home construction, and the company said it focused on retaining the classic design while adding modern touches that make the homebrew car more accessible for more people.

Meyers Manx has opened reservations for the Remastered Kit on its website. Buyers can get on the list with a 50 percent deposit of $2,997.50. That price does not include the donor car(s) or any accessories, parts, and upgrades the buyer chooses. Meyers Manx sells several parts for the new buggy, including a gnarly side-exit exhaust. Though most choose the Beetle’s running gear, squashing Porsche engines and others into the buggy’s rear end is possible. Jeremy Clarkson managed to poorly run a Land Rover V8 in a dune buggy for an episode of “The Grand Tour.”

Bruce Meyers sold Meyers Manx to Trousdale Ventures in late 2020 and died a few months later at age 94. The company has blossomed under its new owners and now offers a few variations on the classic dune buggy theme. The Manxter 2+2 brings four seats and a lengthened chassis that doesn’t require builders to cut the VW donor car down to size. The Manx 2.0 EV hits the dunes later this year with up to 300 miles of range and classic style.