At some point, all legends were born. Some of myth and some of truth, they all started somewhere. 50 years ago, one of the greatest off-road legends was revealed to the world. Bruce Meyers rolled out the first fiberglass dune buggy, named “Old Red”. The Meyers Manx has stood the test of time as a cult-classic, dirt-slinging toy. Built from a desire to have a vehicle that fit Meyers’ beach bum lifestyle, the kit ultimately changed off-road culture forever.

This year, the Historic Vehicle Association named the Meyers Manx ‘Old Red’ as the second vehicle worth preserving by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The first was the Shelby Daytona Coupe. Only about 6,ooo to 7,000 official Manx buggies were built prior to the company closing in 1971, though countless copycats followed suit. The Manx hit the ground running when it debuted in 1964 and didn’t let up. Meyer’s ran in the inaugural Mexican 1000 (now the Baja 1000) in 1967 and immediately demanded the spotlight by beating motorcycles and trucks alike.

The Meyers Manx brand returned in the early 2000’s offering new molds, designs and innovative buggy advancements. More recently, the company aligned itself with Rev-TEC, a battery company in the Las Vegas area known for developing motorizing camera dollies. The joint venture has spawned an all-electric Manx, perfect for scooting around neighborhoods, resorts and expanding on the clean fun of an open top buggy.

The Manx V concept is expected to gain more notoriety in the aftermarket and is most likely going to officially debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, 2014. A top speed of 62 miles per hour, 45 mile range and a charge time of 6.5 hours all combine to make the electro-buggy a great little recreational toy.

The Manx is so utterly different, it’s not a far stretch to believe Meyers when he said that “If [he] knew anything about car design, there wouldn’t be a Meyers Manx.” Filling a niche void, the Manx is one vehicle that will always have a small part of many fans hearts and minds. For more information on Meyers Manx, please visit www.meyersmanx.com.