The dune buggy is one of the coolest expressions of the West Coast lifestyle, and about the most fun you can have on four wheels.
But is it an objet d’art? Apparently so, since dune buggies are included in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.
Now, adding to its artistic allure, a dune buggy will be among the lots offered by a Los Angeles auction company that specializes in modern artworks, from paintings to furniture, created by some of the world’s most famous artists and designers.
The screaming-yellow 1969 Bounty Hunter dune buggy built by Glass Enterprises of Burbank, California, will be on the auction block among the modern-art finery presented by Los Angeles Modern Auctions during its October 22 sale at its showroom in Van Nuys, California.
“We are extremely excited to have this uniquely styled and customized piece of ’60s pop culture,” Peter Loughrey, director of Modern Design & Fine Art at LAMA, said in a news release. “Not only does this design work to add to the overall auction content, but it enumerates our ability as an auction house to sell any medium of modern and industrial era art.”
The Volkswagen-powered Bounty Hunter is based on the iconic Meyers Manx dune buggy that debuted in 1964 after being hand-built in a Newport Beach garage by the legendary Bruce Meyers. The Meyers Manx was one of the first vehicles honored by inclusion into the National Historic Vehicle Register of the Library of Congress.
The dune buggy concept was refined for Bounty Hunter by owner/builder Bill Lazelere, who took a year to complete his version, according to LAMA. Extensive attention to detail makes Lazelere’s dune buggy stand out, the news release says, and the car comes to auction in as-new original condition.
“The car has remained in mint condition since its completion, and is a timeless classic,” LAMA says.
The estimated auction value for the Bounty Hunter is $30,000 to $50,000. For information, visit the auction website.
