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VW Apal Buggy - Urban Buggy-ing

Name: Apal (VW 1300) Buggy C 1975
Brand: Apal

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Created on May 18, 2017

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Balz Schreier

Erik Fuller - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Balz Schreier

Erik Fuller - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Archiv

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - just find shelter from the rain

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the green buggy fits Zurich like a ...

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - stands out in every column

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - no sandy beach to be seen far and wide

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - deep under the streetcar

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - driving experience somewhere between VW Beetle and Formula V

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - in the urban jungle

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - what's that peeking out?

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - even 50 km/h is a lot of fun

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the engine sits outside

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - quite clearly laid out

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the best view is from the front seats

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - formally still close to the Meyers Manx original

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - in the big city summer

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - "roarr" or something like that - fitting background music

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the buggy is open at the top and bottom

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the greenish Hans Waldmann (statue) sends his regards

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - classic buggy between classic buildings

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - between historic buildings

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - for the daily trip to the office

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - ready for the next ride

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the sun lets the colors play

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - also attracts attention with the large superstructure

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - lights up even a concrete jungle

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - fits - surfboards, bathing establishment, buggy

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - it already has a somewhat big butt

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - during a short rainfall, a pedestrian bridge lines up to provide protection.

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - does not necessarily merge with the rear end

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - stands out not only because of the color

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Industrial atomosphere

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - it would almost fit across one of the garages

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - off-road like no other

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - doesn't run on natural gas, but is still pretty green

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - you don't need an instruction manual

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Saddler finishes, different-colored stitching like in noble Brits

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Speedometer from the Beetle, other instruments from the aftermarket

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Additional instruments from VDO

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the rear seats are exposed to the rain

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the surfboard as a rear-view mirror

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the rear-view mirror in the shape of a surfboard

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Matter of taste - Gear lever knob

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Lap belts in the buggy

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the indicators from the Beetle

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Headlights like the pre-war classic

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the functionality of the indicators can be checked from the driver's seat

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - gas cap in front of the windshield

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - almost an outboard motor

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - everything nice and clear

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - body-colored add-on parts for the engine

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - artfully curved exhaust system

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - strong rear tires - 255-60/16

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - pretty rear lights from the accessories trade

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Apal Auki Buggy at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - next to it an Apal Buggy L (right) and an Apal Jet (in the background) - recreational vehicles and buggies were popular

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Apal Buggy (1972) - the clothing was chosen to match the tight body circumference

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Apal Buggy Corsa (1973) - the new Corsa model was the main talking point, with the Auki, Jet and C models behind it - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Apal Auki - buggy based on a Beetle chassis and reminiscent of a vintage car; quite expensive at 12800 francs with hardtop - at the Geneva Motor Show 1974

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Meyers Manx Dune Buggy (1963) - close to the original

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Apal Buggy (1975) - at the Rallye Historique of the Schloss Bensberg Classics 2014

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Apal Jet Buggy (1973) - the summer can come - 40th Oldtimer-Meeting Baden-Baden 2016

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the buggy is relatively low

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - fits in every garage

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - turns the journey to the office into an adventure

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - low waistline, high rear end

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - even at night this buggy does not turn gray

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - Springtime mood in the city

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - especially the children can hardly look away

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - no flap protects the engine from view

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - waiting for the next train?

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - ideal addition to architectural models

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the buggy has something of a boat, but it can't swim

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - everything nice and tidy

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - steering wheel from the sports accessories, buttons from the Beetle

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Apal Buggy C (1975) - the engine compartment is quite colorful

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Summary

When the buggy wave spread to Europe towards the end of the 1960s, local companies seized the opportunity and developed their own kit variants. Among the most successful buggy manufacturers in Europe was the Belgian company Apal, which came up with different variants, including the classic Buggy C and L, available for shortened and standard VW Beetle chassis. But how does a 1970s buggy fare today in the modern urban jungle? Better than you might think, as the extensively illustrated driving report shows.

This article contains the following chapters

No sandy beach available?
Clearly laid out
Tame by hand
Off into the city
Pretty green
More original than original
Thumbs up
Weatherproof?
The world needs more buggies!
Further information

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When the sun is shining and temperatures rise above 20 degrees, some people long for a vehicle that is open at the top and, above all, a lot of fun. Hardly any car fulfills these two criteria more economically than a buggy. Buggies originated in the USA, of course, and Bruce Meyers is regarded as their creator. In the mid-sixties, he caused a sensation with his Meyers Manx on a shortened Beetle chassis and not only created a trend, but also hordes of imitators. These included the Apal company in Belgium, which jumped on the buggy boom at the end of the sixties. These simple vehicles, which basically consisted of nothing more than a Beetle chassis, which in principle could be driven without a body, and a plastic shell, were designed for fast progress on sand. This is why the buggies were popular in California right from the start.

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