Having learned the nuances of fiberglass through boat building, Bruce gives you a background of the people he was influenced by in the early 1960’s Newport Beach scene. He carries you through the struggles, but carefree attitudes of designing and producing the Meyers Manx dune buggy, and once he was finally established in the kit car world, the woes of being a businessman with all the trials and tribulation it can bring. You will get a peek at the man who loved six wives, started an industry, and invented several common-today items trying to save his failing company after he was bitterly copied by the world. See how the forming of the Manx Dune Buggy Club in 1994, and the rebirth of Meyers
Manx in 1999, saved him, and how he continued to flourish until his death in 2021

Follow Bruce in a detailed account of the beginnings of the now well-known “Baja 1000” off-road race and how it happened because of a long-loved relationship with this unusual but beautiful country.

Born in 1926, an introduction to the Meyers family, and stories of Bruce’s young life and his fascination with the sea and boats follow him from an impish young surfer to joining the Merchant Marines and eventually the Navy, surviving a Kamikaze attack in World War II. After the Navy, not tired of the sea, it beckons to him once more reuniting with the Merchant Marines to see the world. Still fascinated by adventure and sailing, travel with him to the South Seas on a square-rigged schooner to build a trading post on a coral atoll. With sailing in his blood, he came home to building boats and creating some of the first tooling for building large fiberglass sailboats. Returning to Tahiti in a self-built 47ft catamaran continued to be his dream, where you will share his emotions at the results.

Why Not, became a way of life after connecting with Bruce Meyers, the artist, sailor, boat builder, veteran, surfer, musician, inventor, and of course the grandfather of the fiberglass dune buggy, the Meyers Manx! This book, written by Winnie Meyers after 40 years together (wife #6), explores her background, their meeting, and some of their trials and tribulations restarting the Meyers Manx company, as well as creating the “Manx Club” which is still current today! You are invited to peak into the soul of the

Meyers’ life of “Why Not?”

Includes a CD of original songs by Winnie Meyers

The checks and balances of one’s past cannot be ignored. I suspect that mine are suspiciously close, forever near. Those Kamikaze’s chased me into the sea only to have me return to the burned-out hulk that refused to sink. Slowly the Bunker Hill limped back home having lost over half of her thirty-five hundred crew members. The long and slow journey back home somehow etched its way into my subconscious. Those weeks of rolling young shipmate’s bodies from their bunks, their frantic, clawing figures from airshafts, the huddled bodies from closed lockers…unforgettably sad. So compelling, so hideous to experience it, indelibly burned into me, creating a mission in life to enjoy every moment of this time on earth.

My meanderings have led me to the phenomenon of the fiberglass dune buggy.

Seen in the automotive magazines of the world, one editor wrote, “A vehicle that was misleading by its own character, appearing to be something of a toy, not only set world records…but also became an icon for a new automotive era.” With its look of rebellious audacity, smacking of adventure, it beckoned to the youth of those times and those still clinging to youth. Its ultra-simple design defied all automotive convention, suggesting it should not be taken seriously. The Meyers Manx was never taken seriously in racing, on or off-road until the dust settled. Producing more smiles per mile and at a higher “fun per dollar” ratio than any car before or since, the Meyers Manx was, and still is, the granddaddy of all that excitement, energy, Hollywood celebrity and those records leaving an incredible, indelible skid mark on automotive history. Today, the Meyers Manx brings you an unmatchable legacy that reflects the same honest design heritage, of form following function, that captivated yesterday’s fun-loving world.

When Winnie and I started the Manx Club, it was part of a three-part promise to my dear French friend, Jacky Morel.

                Build a new Manx (Manxter 2+2)

                Write a book

                Start a Club (The Manx Club)

Jacky had shown me a true life-changing concept, the change of perception. This was truly magic for me. I had been angry at the world for the countless copiers of my creation, the Manx buggy. He pointed out that being angry is a waste of energy, which will shorten one’s life. Those I was angry at, were now probably dead, and those remaining could probably care less. Instead of being angry, one should count the happy faces in each dune buggy, pointing out that I put them there. Now, I know I started a world of happiness. Let the Manx Club be a gathering place for all this happiness. So, Winnie and I started the Club without a negative glance. At first, it was tiny. We always thought positives as the negatives tend to erode things. The Manx Club is a place of happiness.

• Bruce

The reasoning behind Bruce’s books

After typing and reading his work many times over, I couldn’t help noticing that there were areas of his life, especially concerning his wives, children and his grandchildren, left out. However, I have found that remembering all of one’s past is not necessarily easy, and if there are painful parts, one might be inclined to skip over those for reasons of privacy or simply not wanting to relive them. Sometimes it may be that one just doesn’t care to share personal stuff – I don’t really know the reason. Though a while back there was someone in our lives that wanted to write Bruce’s life story.

At that time Bruce thought that would be fine. However, this person really delved into Bruce’s life very thoroughly, talking to his past wives, girlfriends, and anyone from his past who may have had something to say about him. He would then bring what he found back to us and relate what he had gathered. I found, being wife #6, that what he brought back to share would often leave us in turmoil.

I think that possibly Bruce had a knack of forgetting what was undesirable in his life in order to cope with the results, and we all have “stuff” in our lives that we don’t particularly want to share, I’m sure. So, some of this information that was brought to light could become very stressful to our relationship. Fortunately, this person decided not to pursue writing the book, and I thank you for that!

Certainly, there have to be reasons why someone ends up in 5 failed marriages, whether they are right or they are wrong. I’ve also always felt that one needs to have lived in another’s shoes before judging another’s actions. Afterall, I was once married before, and my former husband’s family definitely judged me without provocation.

Fortunately, we survived the intrusions and Bruce decided to write the books himself but kept these books to be about his many adventures in life instead of it being his life’s story. There were some who thought that I told Bruce not to write about his family, but actually he was the one who apparently didn’t want to do that.

I supported his decision by suggesting that then these books should be about subject matter, within his life’s story. So, we divided them up into 3 subjects: Baja, the Sea, and Meyers Manx. We hope you enjoy the ride!

• Winnie