| Dune buggys are recreational vehicles which sports | | | | be highly versatile when it comes to utility; they |
| wide tires, and meant to be used on a sandy precinct | | | | serve as surfboard haulers on the beach, off road |
| such as desert or beach. The fundamental design | | | | competitor, sleek street roadsters from impressing |
| concept of dune buggys is a modified engine | | | | the town-folks and of course back-road |
| powering an open chassis. Americans are renowned | | | | bushwhackers during those expedition trips. Their |
| for their insatiable appetite for the outdoors and the | | | | weird and kooky design was redemption for souls |
| "Do it Yourself" concept. This makes the massive | | | | looking for some spirited adventure, coupled with |
| popularity growth of dune buggys hardly a surprise. | | | | dazzling colors and sparkling chrome, these left the |
| The vehicle came to symbolize the carefree spirit of | | | | Corvettes and Pontiacs in the dust. |
| the beach crowd in the early 60s. Dune buggys were | | | | Dune Buggys also let people be their own automobile |
| a common sight sloshing through the sand dunes of | | | | designer, create and design their own car and do |
| Southern California and Florida also the desert | | | | things their way. The earlier dune buggys came in an |
| precinct such as Mexico's Baja California and parts of | | | | array of dazzling colors and paint jobs, everything |
| California's Mojave Desert. Crafted out of fiber glass, | | | | from purple, turquoise, lime green and Rickie Tickie |
| these early custom designed cars featured a rounded | | | | Sticke flower decals, all of which complimented the |
| and squat appearance devoid of any flat lines. More | | | | happy-go-lucky nature of this vehicle. However, many |
| than often these were the VW bug which was | | | | of the newer ones sport an aggressive and meaner |
| stripped down their engines tuned up for more | | | | look, an indication of the widespread popularity of |
| power and fitted with larger tires with thick treads | | | | dune buggy races. Famed dune buggies in pop culture |
| for traversing the sands. Most of the dune buggys | | | | include the Wonderbug from The Krofft Supershow, |
| had their rear tires bigger than the front ones. | | | | Big Jim's Dune Devil, Banana Split's Banana Buggy and |
| There was a reason for selecting the VW Bug for | | | | Barbie's Sun 'n Fun Buggy. The pop culture image of |
| modification; the rear mounted engine meant that | | | | dune buggys took a drastic turn when it was |
| once the body has been stripped down there is an | | | | publicized as the favorite method of transportation |
| enormous improvement in traction. Dune buggys are | | | | for the Manson family during their notorious journey |
| prone to flipping over; hence there is a safety roll bar | | | | through the jagged terrains of California's Death |
| in place which prevents the occupants from being | | | | Valley. |
| crushed in the event of a rollover. These vehicles can | | | | |