Go kart racing, or karting as it's called, officially began as a sport in 1957. The impromptu event took place in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl, which is located in Pasadena, California. Soon afterward the sport of karting became popular all over the world.

Some drivers thought it would be a good idea to race the vehicles in the sand. Unfortunately the vehicles kept getting stuck in the sand dunes, so some changes had to be made to the existing design. The resulting vehicle was called a dune buggy.

Two basic designs of the dune buggy emerged. The first version was a modified Volkswagen (VW) Bug that had been customized so it could be driven in the sand. Use of the VW Bug base is what led the vehicle to be called a dune buggy.

The Meyers Manx dune buggy, which was designed by Bruce Meyers in 1960, is one of the most recognizable buggies built on the VW frame. Only 5,000 of the original Meyers Manx dune buggies were created. As a result, a used dune buggy from this manufacturer is a coveted collector's item.

The other type of dune buggy is a sand rail. The frame on the sand rail was constructed out of steel tubing that was bent and welded together. The sand rail gave motorists more flexibility in the actual design of their dune buggies.

Sand rails are still being modified today. The latest technology has been incorporated into each subsequent model. For those who prefer the old school version, there are several retailers who specialize in used sand rail sales.