Dune buggies builders

Dune buggies builders

Meyers Manx . Source: VW Newsroom

The first dune buggies were Beetle frames where the body was removed. ​Because of its rear-mounted engine, the Beetle is often used in dune vehicles. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, vehicles were often seen along the California beaches. In 1958, Daniel Rettig, built a short flat car using a Beetle chassis. He was one of many people who made these off-road vehicles at the time. ​A Volkswagen dealer named EMPI in Los Angeles began offering dune off-road vehicle kits called Sportsters. Empi Sportster was the first mass-produced dune buggy kit that people can buy and build.

First buggies (Source: oldschoolbuggies)

Dune Buggy Burro (Source: grautogallery)

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It inspired builders to make lighter aluminum off-road vehicles. Hilder "Tiny" Thompson designed and built the dune buggy "The Burro". That design was probably the inspiration for Bruce Meyers for the famous "Manx" designed in the 1960s. ​In 1964, Meyers built the first buggies, starting with 12 units, but throughout its history, it produced more than 6,000 dune buggies. Bruce Meyers didn't invent the dune buggy, but it marked the change of an era and a true revolution in the history of dune buggies. During the dune buggy boom in 1969, a variety of dune buggies were built. After the promulgation of the new automobile law in 1970, many companies that made dune vehicles went bankrupt. Meyers Manx was closed in 1971 due to losing a patent infringement case and IRS tax requirements. In the 1990s, the fiberglass Rettig Buggy revived the dune buggy era. In the past, these vehicles mainly appeared on deserts and beaches. Today, they are very popular in indoor racing tracks and road vehicles. In the 1990s they made a comeback, even with road legal models. There are currently more than 50 dune buggies manufacturers. Brazil is one of the main manufacturing countries, regarding the number of car makers.

Embuggy Vintage 1100

Embuggy Vintage has a design inspired by the dune buggies of the 60s, keeping its appeal. A fun and easy car to drive.

There are three versions: 1.5L, 1.1L and 800cc. It's produced in China under European quality standards. In France, the version 1.1L is marketed, with a price of € 16,990. For the Embuggy Vintage 1000, it has a power of 110 hp at 4250rpm, it can be equipped with both automatic and manual transmission. It weighs only 610kgs. It has brake discs and power steering.

Bugre VII

The Bugre VII is a dune buggy launched in 2008 in Brazil, since then it has been a commercial success due to its high quality. It doesn't use a donor chassis, but its own chassis formed with U-beams and 1/8 inch thick carbon steel plates. The entire body is made of fiberglass, as is usual in dune buggies, although it has steel reinforcements and high-strength steels in key places, without compromising aesthetics. ​It's equipped with a 1.6L Volkswagen EA111 engine.

Selvagem HL

The Selvagem HL is a dune buggy with a unique character made in Brazil. It's a simple vehicle, with low maintenance costs and with Volkswagen mechanical parts including the 1.4 engine. This allows you to take advantage of the entire network of authorized VW workshops. 

It's a car designed for the beach and sand dunes, offering an unrivaled lightweight off-road driving pleasure. It has a capacity for five people.

The body is made of fiberglass and the chassis is made of steel tubes with an aluminum floor.. This buggy can be equipped with a Kombi gearbox, and it has independent front and rear suspensions specifically designed for the model.

They began to manufacture buggies in the early 70s. Due to the great reputation of Selvagem, they didn't sell the cars in kit form to fully control the final product's quality. If the client wishes to contribute his own donor vehicle, it has to be fully reviewed by the brand. This ensures that all Selvagen buggies meet the brand's high standards.

The entire manufacturing process is carried out at the Selvagen facilities. In Brazil, the Selvagem HL costs about € 14,100 (R $ 86,900)
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Doon buggies

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Doon buggies offer attractive kits with their own bodies, which modernize the traditional concept of the dune buggies of the 60s. Doon buggies are available as the traditional 2-seater SWB model or as the 4-seater LWB.

They have their own workshop specialized in Volkswagen-based dune buggies, VolksMagic; to supply parts, repair or to build buggies from scratch.

Therefore, buggies are sold both in kit and turnkey form. In the latter case, each car is adapted to the customer's taste, especially regarding the mechanical components of the dune buggy.

Fyber Boxer buggy

The Fyber Boxer buggy is a contemporary dune buggy made in Brazil. It's powered by a VW Boxer 1.6 engine that gathers 53hp. The body is made of fiberglass and the chassis is tubular carbon steel. It weighs 750kgs, which makes it a very light dune buggy.

The front suspension has two torsion beams, double action dampers and stabilizer bars. In the rear suspension we find helical springs with double action telescopic tensioners and dampers. The front brakes are discs and the rear are drums. The price of the Fyber Boxer buggy is about €10.060 approx. (R$ 62.000)