Rare Beetle-Platformed Bremen Mini Mark

I remember when the VW-platformed fiberglass Dune Buggy craze hit in the mid-to-late 1960’s. There were lots of them on the road in all shades of cool metal flake colors. It led to the rise in fiberglass “kit cars” as well as novelty front ends if you wanted your Beetle to look like a Rolls Royce or a ’40 Ford. Well, here’s an interesting variation on that theme from Bremen Sport Inc. of Bremen, Indiana. I wasn’t aware of the Mini Mark or the four other VW-based conversion vehicles Bremen sold in it’s heyday. This is an interesting looking ’70’s/’80’s-era Bremen Mini Mark that is on a 1970 VW Beetle platform. I spotted this Beige Buggy for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for $10,000 and it’s calling Dobson, North Carolina home. Have you ever seen one?

The seller gives the briefest of information on his Mini Mark saying only, “Summer coming, 1970 VW Mini Mark kit car, 1641 motor, runs, drives great, easy on fuel, head turner.” I did some internet research and found a little bit about the Bremen Company. It was started around 1965 by DeWayne Creighton and Omar Hostetter in Bremen, Indiana. The two business partners ordered dune buggy kits from California and soon decided that they should build their own. Bremen was known for their durable fiberglass (which was thicker than a Corvette) and their build quality and craftsmanship, and had about a twenty-year run before closing in the mid-1980’s. VW Type 1 chassis and running gears were used, usually purchased directly from Volkswagen, but donor cars were sometimes used to keep up with demand. At its height, Bremen offered five models: the Citation Dune Buggy, the Lamborghini-inspired Sebring, and three vehicles that honored the classic styling of the 1930’s era: the Maxi Taxi, the Creighton, and the car featured here, the Mini Mark.

Based on the photos, the Mini Mark’s exterior appears to be in good shape with its beige paint looking decent along with the complimenting brown pinstriping. Many other ’30’s-era styling cues are incorporated including running boards, chrome grill and headlamps, wire wheels, dual spare tire holders on the front fenders, and a removable hardtop with a luggage rack and the full landau look, including a half vinyl roof and ornamental S-shaped bars. Snaps for side curtains are visible, but it’s not known if a set comes with the car or not.

The Mini Mark’s interior looks pretty cool as well. It’s a two seater with its two bucket seats finished in dark brown vinyl (possibly leather?) and a shared arm rest that’s showing minimal-if-any wear. It has a medium brown and chrome sporty steering wheel (with a clock in the hub), a floor-mounted stick shifter, a series of gauges across the dash, and a radio that might include a cassette tape player. The seller includes a video on his post of the Mini Mark’s upgraded 1641cc Volkswagen four cylinder, air-cooled engine that he says runs and drives great and is easy on the gas. Based on my online research, most Mini Marks were produced in the late 70’s through mid 80’s with an estimated 300-400 total cars built. Forty plus years later, a little over 100 Mini Mark’s have been accounted for. Have you ever seen or driven one?