"A Dune or Beach Buggy is a recreational motor vehicle with large wheels and wide tyres, designed for use on beaches or desert recreation. Popularity peaked in the late 1960’s & early 1970’s with the Volkswagen Beetle, nicknamed ‘Bug’ (hence ‘Buggy’) the most commonly used for the platform. Ideal because the rear engine layout improves traction, the air-cooled engine avoids the complexities and failure points associated with water-cooled units. Dune buggies generally came with fiberglass bodies. The original dune buggy was the 1964 ‘Meyers Manx’ built by classic constructor, Bruce Meyers, using a VW Beetle chassis.
This ‘East Coast Manx’ bodied Beach Buggy was married to a shortened 1967 Volkswagen Beetle chassis in 2006. Technicians at Martin Cheetham Engineering assembled the vehicle including the fitting of a new Remtec 1641cc VW engine supplied by VW Heritage, West Sussex (alone costing £2,900). A red metal-flake gel coat finish was chosen, along with new diamond stitched black upholstery. Stainless steel canon pipes and the chromes slot wheels complete the dazzling look with performance to match. The owner estimates his total spend on the build at the time conservatively in the realms of £10,000 with many receipts retained in the file. Offered here without reserve, this is likely to represent fantastic value and deliver huge fun to its next owner."