1967 Con-Ferr Dune Buggy Dune Buggy

This Con-Ferr Meyers Manx Dune Buggy is the example used in the movie, The Thomas Crown Affair. It was though that the vehicle ended up with Steve McQueen after the movie, but this was not the case. It was acquired by Hawaii Lincoln-Mercury dealer Jim Phlueger, who had by then already brought several Manx kits to the islands. The Con-Ferr Buggy was modified by a local specialist who removed the Corvair engine and original transmission and installed a race-built 2.2-liter Volkswagen engine and another VW transaxle. The vehicle spent several years being used around the Honolulu area sands, prior to being traded to another owner who took it to Kauai, where it spent a fair amount of time sand racing and towing water skiers across the shallow, wide beaches at Hanalei Bay.

The vehicle later returned to Honolulu, where the current owner traded a restored Mini Cooper S plus a shotgun for the buggy. By this point in history, the vehicle was intact but in poor shape, with the VW engine seized. Much of the chrome trim was rusted and it had been resprayed several times. Although a restoration was planned, the Manx sat in a warehouse for nearly two decades.

More recently, the custom Manx was fully disassembled for a complete, platinum level, concours quality restoration, with a particular eye being paid to authenticity and originality. It received an original spec Corvair engine and a fresh VW transaxle. Replacement parts were done with period-correct pieces, and the original color scheme was re-applied.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2020