- Belongs to five-time Paris-Dakar winner Cyril Neveu

- Fun vehicle in great condition.

- Designed and manufactured by Belgian specialist Apal

- No reserve

The “buggy” craze was started by Bruce Meyers in 1964 to meet the needs of Californian surfers. When it reached Europe, several small manufacturers became interested. In Belgium, the company Apal (Application Polyester Armé Liège) was one of the most serious and produced a carefully crafted buggy that was very popular. A few years earlier, the company started producing Porsche and Volkswagen-derived coupés and considerably expanded its business with the buggy. Working with D'Ieteren, the Belgian importer of VW and Porsche, Apal used a Beetle platform topped by a plastic body, and a minimalist layout. The company was run by Edmond Pery, a car enthusiast with a keen interest in historic racing, and his Maserati Birdcage and 200 SI were a familiar sight on the racetrack.

This buggy is quite special in that it's being sold by Cyril Neveu, the five-time winner of the Paris-Dakar Rally on a motorbike, and now organizer of classic car rallies. He bought it in 2023 near Liège, where the buggy was produced, and it is still in very good condition. Cyril Neveu gave it a complete overhaul as soon as he bought it, including four new tyres, before taking it to his Ramatuelle estate for regular use. It has a VW Beetle 1300 4-cylinder engine and features two bucket seats topped by a roll bar. With 42,690 km on the clock, this is an opportunity to acquire one of the best-built buggies by the European manufacturers, and a vehicle perfectly suited to fun on the beach!

Photos © Loïc Kernen