Is Santa Bringing Back Volkswagen's Beach Buggy?

TopSpeed

By Michael Fira

Published Dec 24, 2018

Could be part of a number of retro-looking I.D. concept models

Bruce Meyers' Manx buggy was one of the huge automotive hits of the '60s and, channeling the spirit of those years; it was a full-on DIY project that turned into a phenomenon. Now, Volkswagen, the company that powered Meyers' dreams via the Beetle platform, teased a potential revival of the buggy as an electric concept part of the I.D. family.

This year, Volkswagen's traditional Christmas card features the muscular silhouette of an open-top rugged off-roader with Santa in the driver's seat. This suggests that the German automaker is looking to unveil yet another concept under the I.D. umbrella inspired by the buggy that was paramount to the creation of the Baja Rally.

A modern Manx with none of the noise but all of the go

British publication Autocar has launched the rumor that Volkswagen is actively pursuing the development of a Meyers Manx-inspired electric beach buggy a month or so ago.

According to Autocar, we'll first see the new buggy at next year's Geneva Auto Show in March but expect it to follow the philosophy of the original: a low-slung body, big wheels that are barely contained by bulbous arches, a pair of seats without the nuisance that is doors, a chunky roll hoop behind these seats, and a free-standing windshield ahead.

Apparently, this won't be the only retro-looking concept that will see the light of day in 2019. Volkswagen chairman Herbert Diess is said to have given the green light to at least one other retro EV under the I.D. family banner that is set to join the I.D. Buzz - a model that harkens back to the Volkswagen T1 of the old days. This third retro EV could be a 5-door hatchback with styling cues inspired by the original Volkswagen Bettle.

As with all the other I.D. models, the first of which is slated to go into mass-production in the third quarter of 2019, the buggy will sit on the MEB modular platform that also allows for all-wheel-drive. We don't know what the specifications of the 21st Century Manx will be but, if it will go into production, expect a range of about 350 miles (that's what the biggest 111-kWh battery package can offer). The price could be high considering this is an unusual vehicle that could be made in limited quantities as a way for VW to show that its I.D. family can also be fun and encourage outdoor activities.

While the first 12 examples built for customers were expensive due to their all-fiberglass monocoque, the later version sat on a shortened Beetle chassis that helped lower the price and garner public interest. In fact, in just five years, Meyers' company shipped over 5,000 Manx kits and finished vehicles as well as other versions based on the original two-seater design like the Manx II and the Meyers Tow’d.

A modern Manx with none of the noise but all of the go

Further reading