Swiss Buggy Froggy - the Swiss answer to an American invention

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Swiss Buggy Froggy - the Swiss answer to an American invention

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Created on April 11, 2019

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

44

Archiv Daniel Hauslin

9

Bruno von Rotz

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Archiv

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - painted in one of the standard colors of the time

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - Leisure vehicle for little money

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - wide wheels always make a difference

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - independent design

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - simple construction, but with a refined VW Beetle chassis

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - simplicity as a maxim

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - the massive flap gives access to the engine

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - Doors? Missing

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - clearly visible - the crank handle of the Beetle

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - a roll bar protects the crew

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - off into the countryside

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - good off-road

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - many buggies had extra-wide wheels

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - a windshield as weather protection

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - the wind always finds a way inside

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - more for cruising than speeding

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - also cuts a fine figure on country roads

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - individual look

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - great fun to drive

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - little side inclination

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - the rear is typical of the Swiss Buggy

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - pulling power and not top speed are required

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - looks bigger than it is

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - driving pleasure for little money

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - for fun alone or with passengers

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - a rare sight these days

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - the roof is included for all emergencies

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - it doesn't get much airier than this

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - no servo assistance takes over the steering work

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - agile thanks to short wheelbase

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - accompanied by the sound of the Beetle

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - the hand on the gearshift

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - of course without power steering, but that's not necessary either

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - optimum all-round visibility

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - economical instrumentation

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - View into the cockpit

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - curved gearshift for better ergonomics

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - Beetle engine, normally concealed

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - own type plate/chassis license plate

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - rear-view mirror positioned far forward

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1972) - round rear lights

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1970) - at the Geneva Motor Show

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Swiss Buggy (1973) - real buggy atmosphere was shown on the stand of the Aargau-based manufacturer - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Swiss Buggy (1973) - the variant with hardtop and plastic swing door shown for the first time - at the Geneva Motor Show in 1973

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1970) - also suitable for extreme off-road use

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1971) - with attached roof

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1970) - completely in the air (and out of focus)

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1971) - Test drive through the water

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1970) - Family project

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1970) - test drives by company founder Willy

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1971) - during assembly

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1973) - on the cover of 'hobby'

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1973) - in the hobby test

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1974) - in the advertisement

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Swiss Buggy VW - at the plastic car meeting Fantastic Plastic 2017

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Swiss Buggy VW - at the plastic car meeting Fantastic Plastic 2017

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Swiss Buggy VW - at the plastic car meeting Fantastic Plastic 2017

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Swiss Buggy VW - at the plastic car meeting Fantastic Plastic 2017

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Swiss Buggy VW - at the plastic car meeting Fantastic Plastic 2017

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Swiss Buggy Froggy (1973) - at the plastic car meeting "Fantastic Plastic 2018"

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Summary

The buggy wave that spilled over from America to Europe in the 1960s also meant a brief renaissance for the Swiss car industry. Swiss buggy builders were certainly able to compete with the international competition, as the Swiss Buggy Froggy clearly proved. Some examples have survived. This report tells the story of the Swiss buggy and shows it in historical and current pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

Naturally from America
Improving the tried and tested
Type-tested
Carefully built by hand
Rationalized and improved
Tested and approved
Sacrificed to the energy crisis
Survives
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Certainly, this is not the usual special bodywork from the hands of Swiss coachbuilders, as they were in the golden age of coachbuilding. But it is a Swiss car from local production. It is a buggy, a leisure car based on the VW Beetle. The Swiss Willy, Markus and Peter Hausin were enthusiastic about the leisure car, but they didn't want to simply copy the American model. Instead, they almost reinvented the buggy. The buggies were created - naturally - in the USA. Bruce Meyers is regarded as their creator. In the mid-sixties, he caused a sensation with his Meyers Manx on a shortened Beetle chassis.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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