Audamotive Communications LLC

Has VW created the perfect car for Baywatch? The Buggy Up! Concept shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show (left, top) looks like a natural for SoCal and the Florida Keys. VW says it took inspiration from the Beetle-based dune buggies of the 1960s and 1970s, which were all knock-offs of the Meyers Manx.

But the Buggy Up! wasn’t the first beach buggy concept based on a production minicar. As soon as I saw the Buggy Up!, it reminded me of a Corgi toy I had as a kid, back about 1970. All I remembered was “Barchetta,” searched on Google and found the 1969 Autobianchi Runabout Barchetta designed by Bertone. Inspired more by speedboats than dune buggies, the little roadster used Fiat 127/128 parts, including its mid-mounted engine. The car was essentially a concept that evolved into the Fiat X1/9 sports car that arrived three years later.

Regardless of its inspiration, the VW Buggy Up! shows that imagination is alive and well in the car biz. Who knows? Maybe the Buggy Up! Concept will lead to a low-price VW roadster that gets 50 mpg.