Next up at Sotheby’s and RM Sotheby’s Online Only collector car auction series is a 1968 Meyers Manx dune buggy. Bidding opened on July 23 and runs until noon EDT on August 1. Sotheby’s expects the funmobile to sell for $40,000 to $50,000.
The buggy on offer is believed to be one of the first few hundred produced and thus pre-serial-number examples produced in 1968.
“It remains in exceptional condition after a recent no-expense-spared, frame-up restoration conducted by a Volkswagen and Porsche specialist,” Sotheby’s said.
“Finished in its original shade of orange utilizing Big Daddy Roth metal flake paint, the Manx is powered by a Powerhaus 100 hp, 1,914 cc horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine fitted with a progressive two-barrel Weber carburetor and an electronic distributor.”
Bruce Meyers began producing fiberglass-bodied beach buggies on Volkswagen chassis in the mid-1960s. Popular in Southern California and in off-road racing, they gained international fame when one played a role in The Thomas Crown Affair, a 1968 movie starring Steve McQueen.
Recently, this example won best-in-class honors at the 23rd annual Elliot Museum Car Show in Stuart, Florida, where it was part of the featured VW/Audi/Porsche featured marque class.
The top bidder will need to pick up the car in Florida, Sotheby’s said, adding that along with the car comes a certificate of authenticity signed by Meyers.
The Manx is the fourth vehicle offered in Sotheby’s new Online Only auction series. Recently a 2006 Ford GT driven only 11 miles since new sold for $310,500.
For more information, visit the Sotheby’s website.