Volkswagen Brings Back the Buggy in Geneva

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

The Meyers Manx has returned, only it isn’t technically a Manx. Volkswagen built it, it’s an EV, and it isn’t actually going on sale anywhere because it’s a concept car. Our apologies to any aged beach bums we just pulled the rug from beneath.

A lot of dune buggies (including the Manx) were adapted from old VW Beetles, but the manufacturer never built any of its own — at least none for public consumption. While we don’t see that changing anytime soon, Volkswagen certainly could move forward with the I.D. Buggy if it thought it profitable. After all, nobody thought we’d see the return of the Microbus, and yet the company is currently readying an all-electric Buzz that draws almost all of its inspiration from that vehicle. We think the Buggy would pair nicely with it, even though it exists far outside the mainstream.

Riding on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, the Buggy and Buzz similarly exist to remind the public of Volkswagen’s glory days, while simultaneously pushing the electrification narrative. VW wants you to think back on the Swinging Sixties and make positive associations to what it’s doing now. Forget about the diesel scandal, forget about how it’s one of the largest automotive conglomerates in history, and just be reminded of a period when the brand was indirectly linked to peace, love, and saving the whales.

Wearing semi-flat green paint giving off an anodized look, the Buggy Concept gets a set of matching wheels wrapped in off-road rubber. Sheet metal is at a minimum here, with most of the car being predictably exposed to the elements. That theme carries over to the interior, where the majority of the controls are isolated to the steering wheel. However, VW’s choice of making them almost universally touch sensitive seems like an odd choice considering the space would presumably be hit with sand and droplets of water on a regular basis. Physical buttons would have been better, but this is a concept car so it isn’t really worth complaining about.

While it’s normally extremely easy to rule out whether or not a trade show car foreshadows a production vehicle, the Buggy makes things a little tougher. Volkswagen hasn’t said anything, and it’s really too niche to be placed on an assembly line, but the MEB platform exists to allow VW room to experiment. The company previously said the versatile MEB would open the door for more interesting vehicles, potentially from other manufacturers. Unfortunately, we get the feeling this could be a bridge too far.

Still, it’s not as though the company hasn’t thought about it. In 2011, Volkswagen revealed the Buggy Up! (below) at the Frankfurt Auto Show. While the powertrain was different, the basic idea was not. If MEB ends up being the colossal success story VW envisions, maybe you’ll see the I.D. Buggy or something like it kicking up sand in a few years.

[Images: Volkswagen]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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 5 comments
  • 4drSedan 4drSedan on Mar 07, 2019

    Ooh, I want one! What? It's electric? Oh, never mind.

    • See 2 previous
    • Yurpean Yurpean on Mar 09, 2019

      @4drSedan Since when do Big Bear campsites no longer have RV power? Did I miss something? Because last time I checked, and that was last weekend, there are plenty of 50A hookups on campsites.

  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Mar 07, 2019

    I applaud the rapidity of VW's response to my request for lower beltlines. Does Under Armour get royalties on the taillamps?

  • Honda1 The FJB Inflation Reduction Act will end up causing more inflation down the road, fact! Go ahead and flame me libbies, get back to me in a few years!
  • Cprescott Fisker is another brand that Heir Yutz has killed.
  • Dwford Every country is allowed to have trade restrictions except the US.
  • 1995 SC Are there any mitigation systems that would have prevented this though? We had a ship hit a bridge in Jacksonville a few years back and it was basically dumb luck it didn't collapse. This looked like a direct hit.
  • Cprescott Oh, well.
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