Ngawo-1960, i-Beach Boys yayiqhuba izindiza. Ukusefa kuwumdlalo omusha omuhle njengoba ama-baby boomer angenaso isizungu ephikisana nemibono yakudala. Isikhathi sokuqala lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhathi ngisemusha.
Indawo eyodwa eye yashintsha kakhulu yimoto. Izikebhe ezinkulu zomhlaba zango-1950 azisekho, futhi nansi iVolkswagen Beetle entsha, encane. Zaziwumoya omusha, ziphefumulela isizukulwane esisha sabadali ukuba bajoyine isiko le-hot rod. Cabanga ngokuvukela ngaphandle kwesizathu kodwa ngombala onsundu.
Unjiniyela, umdwebi kanye nomklami wemikhumbi uBruce Meyers ungomunye wabaklami abanjalo. UMeyers wathatha iphutha futhi wasebenzisa umcabango wakhe ohlakaniphile ukudala imoto yomjaho edumile yaleso sikhathi, iMeyers Manx.
Kanye neManx kwafika nekhithi yenqola yezintaba. Imodeli yokuqala ethi “Old Red” yayinomzimba we-fiberglass monocoque kanye ne-suspension evela elolini leveni le-Chevrolet. Konke ukusethwa kuqhutshwa yi-Volkswagen Lovesummer ene-powertrain epholile emoyeni enamasilinda amane.
Lapho uFerdinand Porsche eklama iBeetle yokuqala ngesicelo sikaHitler, ngokungaqondile wabeka isisekelo seBuggy. Umqondo kwakuwukudala imoto ethembekile nengabizi kakhulu eyayingahamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-60 ngehora emigwaqweni emikhulu eyayisanda kwakhiwa. IBeetle eyayingeyomphakathi yayinomfowabo wezempi owaziwa ngamaNazi ngokuthi i-Type 82 Kübelwagen kanti kwabaningi bethu ngokuthi “The Thing”, efana kakhulu neManx.
I-Old Red yabonisa amakhono omqondo wokugijima ngaphandle komgwaqo eBaja Mexico, yabeka irekhodi lamahora angu-39 nemizuzu engu-56 ohambweni lwamamayela ayi-1,000 ukusuka eTijuana ukuya eLa Paz. Akekho ngaphandle kwabagibeli bezithuthuthu owayekholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka. Lo mjaho osheshayo washintsha waba yilokho esikwaziyo namuhla njengeBaja 1000, umjaho onzima kakhulu wangaphandle komgwaqo eNyakatho Melika.
Kusukela ngo-1964 kuya ku-1971, imisebenzi ye-BF Meyers & Co yayimifushane futhi imnandi. Ngenxa yezindleko eziphakeme kanye nobunzima bekhithi yokuqala, kwathengiswa izinhlobo ezibomvu ezindala ezingaba yishumi nambili kuphela. Ekugcineni, uMeyers wayishiya i-Chevrolet suspension, waklama umzimba ofanelana kahle nohlaka lwe-VW olujwayelekile.
Ngokushesha, lezi zinto zatholakala kubathandi kulo lonke izwe. Njengesikebhe, amajika abushelelezi ahlinzeka ngokuqina kwesakhiwo okudingeka kakhulu, kuyilapho ama-fender anezinsika enikeza indawo yamathayi angaphandle komgwaqo. Ukuma kwekati kwaphefumulela igama elithi Isle of Man, elivela kukati elincane elifanayo.
I-Isle of Man yafinyelela esicongweni sayo sokuvelela kwamasiko e-pop ngenoveli kaSteve McQueen ethi Thomas Crown. UMcQueen wathatha umlingisi uFaye Dunway ohambweni olujabulisayo oludabula izindunduma zesihlabathi zaseMassachusetts ezisogwini. Lesi senzakalo sasikhona kuphela ebhayisikobho ka-1968 ukuze sibonise ukuthi uThomas Crown wayelukhuni kangakanani. Isibonelo, ngathengiswa.
Ngo-1970, isinqumo senkantolo esiphikisanayo sashintsha konke. Ijaji lanquma ukuthi umklamo we-Manx wawungavikelwe yi-copyright. Ngokushesha imakethe yagcwala izinto mbumbulu ezishibhile. Naphezu kwemizamo yokwenza amamodeli amaqembu ochwepheshe njengezindawo zokungcebeleka kanye nabaqaphi bokuphila, i-BF Meyers & Co. yayeka imisebenzi yayo.
Nakuba kwakhiqizwa izimoto zokuqala ezingu-6,000 kuphela, zaphefumulela isizukulwane sonke sabagibeli bezimoto abangekho emgwaqweni. Inguqulo yensimbi eshubhu isebenzisa injini enkulu yeCorvette esikhundleni se-compact VW powerplant. Sebeyisigaba sama-ATV emjahweni we-Baja wanamuhla onzima.
Ngo-2000 iMeyers Manx Inc. yavuselelwa. Le nkampani yakhipha inguqulo esezingeni eliphezulu yomklamo wokuqala kaMeyers, esasekelwe kwiVolkswagen Beetle.
Ngo-2023, inkampani yethula iManx 2.0, inguqulo kagesi enobubanzi bamamayela angu-300. Ifaneleka kakhulu eHollywood eluhlaza kunezindala ezidumile. Nakuba inkampani ingakabeki intengo esemthethweni okwamanje, bathi imoto kagesi ingeyabantu abacebile abanezindlu eziningi nezimoto eziningi, ngakho-ke uthola umbono.
Kimi, iMeyers Manx yokuqala yayibonisa iphupho laseCalifornia. Njengoba ihlanganisa isiko le-hot rod kanye ne-surf, iManx ikhombisa okungenzeka uma ubunjiniyela kanye nekhono lobuciko kuhlangana nomoya wokuvukela.
Sigxila kulokho okubaluleke ngempela kithi: izindawo esiya kuzo, abantu esihlangana nabo, amasiko esihlangana nawo, izigigaba ezilindele noma ubani ofuna ukungena endaweni engaziwa, kanye nempumelelo yomhlaba wonke yokulondoloza imvelo ngenxa yezizukulwane ezizayo.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Mashi-23-2023
