SLIDESHOW
Cars to take to the beach this summer
Beach cars began as playthings of the rich and famous, to get from one luxury hot spot to another while on holiday. The idea was then democratised by the Volkswagen Beetle-based beach buggy, but what all beach cars share is a simplicity of design and purpose that makes them the ideal on sand. With the holiday season well under way, here are our favourites. ALISDAIR SUTTIE
Meyers Manx
The name ‘beach buggy’ started here, with the Meyers Manx. Designed by Bruce Meyers and on the road in 1964, it used a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis and engine. It also made the most of the high-tech new glassfibre material that allowed small companies to make swoopy bodies far more cheaply and easily than with formed metal. Meyers’ end result was intended for desert racing, but kit-form versions soon found favour with California’s surf crowd. It spawned dozens of imitators, yet the original beach buggy is one of only a few still available today. And inevitably, there’s now a new electric version, with 150- or 300-mile range options. Upon the death of Meyers in 2021, Ford CEO Jim Farley paid tribute to him: “What a full life at 96. Carefree and affordable motoring – we celebrate your legacy.”