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Plase Note: This is the totally and completely un-official history based on what is now 30 years of ownership and following of
this little car from Marbelhead, MA. Just a pile of what I've heard, found and seen over the years as an owner or fan. - Bob
Elliott - 2002
this little car from Marbelhead, MA. Just a pile of what I've heard, found and seen over the years as an owner or fan. - Bob
Elliott - 2002
The Start (1967-68)
Autodynamic's was already an established racing company when in 1967 they got into the dune buggy business with Alex Dearborn and
introduced the Series 1 Deserter. The Series 1 dune buggy sold briskly for a while and helped fund the Autodynamic's racing
effort, racing always requires more cash. Then in 1968 a gentleman by the name of Brian Dries built a Manx kit on a 1965 VW
chassis. Unhappy with looking like everyone else he set about changing it with MGB headlight assemblies and a Renault Dauphine
windshield held in place by custom aluminum posts, he called it the Bounty Hunter. The result was an impressive and very unique car
with many requests for his body resulting in the founding of Glass Enterprises of Burbank California. The number of Bounty Hunter
kits built is unknown to me, but the company folded in 1971.
The Hay Days (1969-1972)
These times are pretty well covered in Alex Dearborn's - The Deserter Book - but no longer available. But to summarize a bit and
add some distinction between the Bounty Hunter vs. Deserter GT or even the Marauder GT's, here's a bit to go on. Somewhere
around 1969 the Autodynamics Deserter S1 had a face-lift with the Bounty Hunter front end grafted to the familiar Deserter
84-inch wheelbase. The Deserter GT buggy as it was called was not an exact copy of the Bounty Hunter, but a fully licensed and
modified version. The resulting GT met the Massachusetts DMV regulations of the time and the race car culture of the folks at
Autodynamics. Using the inner tub of the Series 1 Deserter, the nose and lines of the Bounty Hunter but s-t-r-e-t-c-h-I-n-g them
after the windshield posts in the seat area, to some actually improved on the original looks of the Bounty Hunter.
Other modifications or changes from the Bounty Hunter included a larger rear apron that did a pretty good job of covering all of the
VW engine and most of the Corvair engine helped keep the Massachusetts DMV and local police happy.
Autodynamic's was a pretty good size operation at the time and in addition to the very successful race car business, they offered
many options specific to the GT that really set them apart from the average buggy suppliers. It was easy to personalize your car
and build anything from a basic street car, to an off-road or a real track racer using the mid-engine GS chassis kit right out of the
Autodynamic's catalog.
My estimated (Best Guess) total production quantities of Deserters made by either Autodynamics and/or Dearborn are as follows.
Total S1 Manx clone bodies = maybe 300 as VW's, but less than 5 mid-engined GS have ever been located.
Total GT bodies = maybe 350, and then maybe 75 bodies were used in mid-engine GS cars.
Total GS chassis kits = approximately 100 maximum.
The Lazy Days (1972-1988)
The Dune Buggy fad fell flat enough for a company the size of Autodynamic's to sell off all of the molds to the Deserter GT/GS
cars. In the States, the original molds provided small scale production into the mid to late 80's by a man by the name of Gary Card
on the GT/GS cars. In Europe, Basle, Germany had a licensed manufacturer and built molds from parts shipped to them. In all, the
actual quantities produced by either are totally unknown by me, but believed to be relatively small.
The S1 (Manx clone) molds were just lost or destroyed along the way. I've never seen or heard anything of them. Down in New
Jersey, an ex-Autodynamic's employee made full wheelbase (stretched) versions of the S1 Manx body and called it a Jackal . The
idea of no cutting and no welding required and a body that you could simply bolt to your chassis was appealing to some. It did not do
much for the overall looks of the original lines Bruce Meyers had artfully created in his first design.
I believe this is also the time frame that the Marauder GT came on the scene. To the best of my knowledge, this was a Bounty
Hunter clone, with the shorter 80in. wheelbase and a new modification, or yet another attempt to improve the front end with two
winglets?
The Dark Days (1988-2002)
From the late 80's until the year 2002, all of the GT/GS molding and construction jigs sat unused and outdoors in the next owners
hands, Bill Bramley of Ohio. For a dozen plus years, they sat waiting for the new owner to find the time and energy to put them to
use. Well, like many projects and good intentions, it never happened. The real credit to Bill is the fact that they were not
destroyed (OK a little weather damaged) but every fiberglass mold piece, the windshield post molds and all of the GS chassis jigs
stayed together :-) and that is great news!
The Recent Days (2002-?)
Although I and others have made a couple of attempts to restore cars and provide some replacement parts with limited success, the
big news is the original US molds and where they are today!
Over the winter of 2002 all of the parts went to Southern California and are currently being restored. Hopefully new parts will be
available someday. The newest owner is Dave Barnes. Keep your fingers crossed and hopefully he can bring this car and parts back to
life.
Does the story end here? I don't think so, plenty of cars are being restored so there is more good news to follow, I hope!
Bob Elliott
Autodynamic's was already an established racing company when in 1967 they got into the dune buggy business with Alex Dearborn and
introduced the Series 1 Deserter. The Series 1 dune buggy sold briskly for a while and helped fund the Autodynamic's racing
effort, racing always requires more cash. Then in 1968 a gentleman by the name of Brian Dries built a Manx kit on a 1965 VW
chassis. Unhappy with looking like everyone else he set about changing it with MGB headlight assemblies and a Renault Dauphine
windshield held in place by custom aluminum posts, he called it the Bounty Hunter. The result was an impressive and very unique car
with many requests for his body resulting in the founding of Glass Enterprises of Burbank California. The number of Bounty Hunter
kits built is unknown to me, but the company folded in 1971.
The Hay Days (1969-1972)
These times are pretty well covered in Alex Dearborn's - The Deserter Book - but no longer available. But to summarize a bit and
add some distinction between the Bounty Hunter vs. Deserter GT or even the Marauder GT's, here's a bit to go on. Somewhere
around 1969 the Autodynamics Deserter S1 had a face-lift with the Bounty Hunter front end grafted to the familiar Deserter
84-inch wheelbase. The Deserter GT buggy as it was called was not an exact copy of the Bounty Hunter, but a fully licensed and
modified version. The resulting GT met the Massachusetts DMV regulations of the time and the race car culture of the folks at
Autodynamics. Using the inner tub of the Series 1 Deserter, the nose and lines of the Bounty Hunter but s-t-r-e-t-c-h-I-n-g them
after the windshield posts in the seat area, to some actually improved on the original looks of the Bounty Hunter.
Other modifications or changes from the Bounty Hunter included a larger rear apron that did a pretty good job of covering all of the
VW engine and most of the Corvair engine helped keep the Massachusetts DMV and local police happy.
Autodynamic's was a pretty good size operation at the time and in addition to the very successful race car business, they offered
many options specific to the GT that really set them apart from the average buggy suppliers. It was easy to personalize your car
and build anything from a basic street car, to an off-road or a real track racer using the mid-engine GS chassis kit right out of the
Autodynamic's catalog.
My estimated (Best Guess) total production quantities of Deserters made by either Autodynamics and/or Dearborn are as follows.
Total S1 Manx clone bodies = maybe 300 as VW's, but less than 5 mid-engined GS have ever been located.
Total GT bodies = maybe 350, and then maybe 75 bodies were used in mid-engine GS cars.
Total GS chassis kits = approximately 100 maximum.
The Lazy Days (1972-1988)
The Dune Buggy fad fell flat enough for a company the size of Autodynamic's to sell off all of the molds to the Deserter GT/GS
cars. In the States, the original molds provided small scale production into the mid to late 80's by a man by the name of Gary Card
on the GT/GS cars. In Europe, Basle, Germany had a licensed manufacturer and built molds from parts shipped to them. In all, the
actual quantities produced by either are totally unknown by me, but believed to be relatively small.
The S1 (Manx clone) molds were just lost or destroyed along the way. I've never seen or heard anything of them. Down in New
Jersey, an ex-Autodynamic's employee made full wheelbase (stretched) versions of the S1 Manx body and called it a Jackal . The
idea of no cutting and no welding required and a body that you could simply bolt to your chassis was appealing to some. It did not do
much for the overall looks of the original lines Bruce Meyers had artfully created in his first design.
I believe this is also the time frame that the Marauder GT came on the scene. To the best of my knowledge, this was a Bounty
Hunter clone, with the shorter 80in. wheelbase and a new modification, or yet another attempt to improve the front end with two
winglets?
The Dark Days (1988-2002)
From the late 80's until the year 2002, all of the GT/GS molding and construction jigs sat unused and outdoors in the next owners
hands, Bill Bramley of Ohio. For a dozen plus years, they sat waiting for the new owner to find the time and energy to put them to
use. Well, like many projects and good intentions, it never happened. The real credit to Bill is the fact that they were not
destroyed (OK a little weather damaged) but every fiberglass mold piece, the windshield post molds and all of the GS chassis jigs
stayed together :-) and that is great news!
The Recent Days (2002-?)
Although I and others have made a couple of attempts to restore cars and provide some replacement parts with limited success, the
big news is the original US molds and where they are today!
Over the winter of 2002 all of the parts went to Southern California and are currently being restored. Hopefully new parts will be
available someday. The newest owner is Dave Barnes. Keep your fingers crossed and hopefully he can bring this car and parts back to
life.
Does the story end here? I don't think so, plenty of cars are being restored so there is more good news to follow, I hope!
Bob Elliott
The Deserter Owners Group
A Brief History on Deserters
A Brief History on Deserters
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