The Return of the Manx
Yeah, the legendary Meyers Manx is back!
The latest lithium-ion powered phoenix to rise from the ashes is the Manx 2.0 Electric, which debuted in Malibu this week.
By Glenn Oyoung
Sun, Aug 14, 2022 06:27 PM PST
Featured image: The Manx 2.0 Electric.
All images courtesy of Meyers Manx.
These days, it seems that EVs are coming out of the reclaimed and upcycled woodwork. My inbox is bursting with press releases about the debut of this totally new EV or that old marquee resurrected thanks to a new electric powertrain (I’m looking at you, Delorean Alpha5) – and… I’m HERE FOR IT!
The latest lithium-ion powered phoenix to rise from the ashes is the Manx 2.0 Electric, which debuted in Malibu this week. It has some big shoes to fill from its fossil-fuel namesake. The legendary Meyers Manx, created by Bruce Meyers in 1964, swept the world with a dune buggy craze. Based on a shortened VW Beetle chassis, the original Manx was a rolling tribute to California surf culture, available in an affordable kit-car form. Not only did it win races like Baja and the Mexican 1000, it won over stars like the King (Elvis) and the King of Cool (Steve McQueen).
Meyers Manx CEO Freeman Thomas, who penned the New Beatle and the Audi TT, was the perfect choice to design the Manx 2.0. The pictures speak for themselves. The 2.0 screams "dune-buggy fun!" thanks to knobby tires, sweeping curves, and the trademark door-less and often roofless configuration. Look closer at the taillights and gauges and you'll see this is a bit of an elevated Manx experience. Where the original Manx might have been a humble DIY surfer, the 2.0 might be a dawn patrol die-hard who dries up and goes off to close M&A deals.
The Manx 2.0 Electric is slated to go into production in 2023 with a beta run of 50 cars, with final assembly fittingly taking place in California. Of the various EV upstarts and electrified brand restarts, we’re rooting for Meyers Manx to succeed in keeping SoCal at the forefront of car culture in this brave new world of sustainable transportation.
Check out the Meyers Manx website for more info.
About The Author
Glenn Oyoung is a marketer based in Los Angeles. Glennās lifelong passion for cars is rooted in playing with Hot Wheels, and has continued into 1:1 scale. Heās the former marketing director of American Racing, author of āvehicular alphabet booksā āC is for Carā and "P is for Petersen" in collaboration with the Petersen Automotive Museum. His passion for cars extends to his role as the founder of the monthly car meet Carcadia at Route 66, the most diverse car meet in the San Gabriel Valley.
