It’s hard to keep track of the multiple variations of dune buggies built on VW chassis in the ’60s and ’70s. The Meyers Manx is long considered to the be the most desirable of the lot, but there’s another contender for the title of rarest: this 1962 Berry Mini-T here on eBay originally sold by Baldwin Motion Chevrolet. I’m not sure whether anyone cares which dealer originally sold it, but it seems to register as a big deal with the seller. Said to be quite rare compared to the Meyers Manx, I can’t help but wonder if that’s just because they didn’t sell many of them! This particular car hasn’t been repainted and the original pinstriping is still in place, but the soft top has gone missing – good luck finding a replacement. The inclusion of a spare motor is a bonus, but does it justify the $3,000 Buy-It-Now? I could never figure out how these dune buggy conversions should be priced given the ordinary underpinnings and plethora of knock-offs.
I’m surprised to see that Baldwin, the king of muscle back then, ever did a dune buggy. I don’t recall seeing it in their catalogs, but that could be because I was more interested in other stuff and wasn’t looking for dune buggys.
I think the Meyers Manx looks better, but this one isn’t bad. But having rolled an open car and survived, the open setup, springy ‘glass seats, and lack of a roll bar terrify me. I can’t help but think of the sequences of Steve and Faye Dunnaway jumping among sand dunes in a Manx in ‘The Thomas Crowne Affair’ I think it was. He was a pretty good driver, but jumping dunes or even braving Pacific Coast Highway traffic in a buggy, especially on Sunday morning when every boy racer is out, reminds me how much I want to live out my years in one piece. There’s no side impact bars in this baby.
This one has multiple bids after less than a day so it looks like it might sell even if it’s in W Virginia. Probably do even better in California and might make the reserve there.
Channeling Eddie Munster
Sold by Baldwin Motion Chevrolet? Which was it? Baldwin Chevrolet or Motion Performance? They were two separate things although they often worked together to sell cars to customers. However, there is and never was any such thing as Baldwin Motion Chevrolet.
both motors are missing fuel pumps and other parts. body looks long so is the floor pan shortend and welded or stock length? inwood wv is at the border of WV and VA along I81, near summit point race way, and not that far from D.C. also not that far from one of the oldest VW dealers in the USA. strong VW and aircooled VW area so i too think it will sell. great find.
I’d have to re engineer that upper front shock mount but otherwise, I wouldn’t mind having it at the BIN.
This is the “long” version of this body style, so it’s a full pan most likely. They also had a 2 seater Mini-T on a shortened pan. The eBay listing shows both on an ad. I remember seeing those ads back in the day.
Baldwin didn’t make the buggy, it was supposedly sold by a Baldwin dealer. It’s possible – many dune buggies were sold by various retailers. This is not a Baldwin/Motion buggy, just a “regular” long body T. Motion did do a Manx SR that sold not too long ago, though.
Unsafe at any speed!
I’ve seen no less than two of these on CL tonight in the North Carolina listings!
I’m no VW expert (though I aspire to own a railbuggy, someday) but I believe there is an oil cooler that is missing, from this engine, the mount/hole for which is clearly displayed, on the back, top of the crankcase.
Which skeeves me–why is it gone, and what’s crawled inside the engine, while it’s been open?
Personally, I think this body style if FUGLY–especially when compared to a Meyer’s Manx.
But, to each, his own.
Peter
Motion Mini Car was a spin off of Baldwin Motion.
There is a book out that documents Baldwin Motion history.
I recall Bill Mitchell was a partner in Motion Mini Car.
JoeyG…