The Meyers Manx company has found a new owner for the first time. Bruce Meyers, now 94 years old, has officially sold his decades-old business to an investment company called Trousdale Ventures. Bruce (pictured above) ran the company with his wife Winnie from its inception in 1964 when they built their first prototype.
Fortunately, Trousdale Ventures (owned by billionaire and car enthusiast Phillip Sarofim) puts the company in the hands of a few skilled people. The new CEO is Freeman Thomas, a former designer at VW, Porsche and Audi. Some of his more iconic designs include the concepts for the new Beetle and Audi TT. He even spent some time at Daimler Chrysler and designed some mostly American icons such as the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 with Ralph Gilles.
Bruce Meyers released a joint statement on Facebook with the new owners about the sale of the company: “It is with great pleasure and happiness that Winnie and I want to introduce you to the new future of Meyers Manx. introducing the new is what awaits us. We believe that Meyers Manx LLC can and will do that! With confidence in their desire to continue our legacy, the future will be brighter, happier and sunnier than ever, a beautiful rebirth for what we have created! “
Bruce and Winnie aren’t completely separated from the company yet, however. The two will continue as ambassadors and also manage the Meyers Manx registry.
Aside from continuing the Meyers Manx legacy, Trousdale Ventures has not yet disclosed what it plans to do for new products, but a brief statement gives us assurance that it will continue with a similar philosophy as before. Expect Volkswagen chassis, and who knows, maybe even something electrified?
“We are assembling an international dream team of passionate and creative souls to continue Meyers Manx’s legacy of fun, freedom and expression that Bruce and Winnie created,” said Sarofim. “The time is right for all of us to get back to basics and simplify our lives! That is what Meyers Manx stands for! It celebrates authenticity, diversity and being a little different. It is the beginning of an exciting journey to revive a legendary California icon. The timeless design and DNA of the Meyers Manx is the best laugh machine I’ve ever experienced. “
Naturally, Volkswagen itself has recently shown interest in the original dune buggy by producing the ID Buggy Concept. We saw it at the 2019 New York Auto Show, where the company invited both Bruce and Winnie to witness the recreation of their electric buggy.