Looking for any info on a buggy called a San Antonio White Wind.

Do not know if it was made in San Antonio Texas and that is why it is called that or what.

I bought and built my buggy 2 years ago.

Yesterday at a local buggy show I was approached by 2 gentelmen that have 2 or 3 identical bodies to my buggy.

One of them has a decal on the nose that is a metalic type of decal with the words San Antonio White Wind.

The words White Wind are also molded to the top of the dash.

The buggy looks alot like a Desert Fox Spoiler, but has a different hood scoop, dash and the rear fin has a little bit of a different curve to it

I will look through my photos of this body type, but I have nothing on the company. Please post some more photos so we can document yours. Need a rear view and a better dash view. Any pics of the other guy's sticker would be awesome. Where are you located at ?, wierd that a few are andiginous to your area - that indicates a local dealer.
Not familiar with San Antoniio but White Wind sounds like a possible name of a boat shop or something similar. Anyone ??

I am in Central Texas the other 2 guys are about 2oo miles south of me near San Antonio. I will post picture of decal as soon as he sends it to me.

Well the internet only came up with a White Wind Woodworking in Austin Texas, other than that I can't imagine what it could mean. There is a White Sand natnl. monument near San Antonio, but a map didn't yeild any big lakes or areas for boat shops.

My bad LOL

as soon as I get the picture of the nose decal I will post it.

We've seen this one before. I wish I could remember when there was a discussion on it. I don't recall the outcome on this one. John? Paul? Do you guys remember this one?

Jay

Ahhh, Found it! http://www.dunebuggyarchives.com/forum/topic_show.pl?pid=9219;hl=#pid9219

It sounds like you are a little closer to finding out what this buggy is Alma.

Jay

So many buggies to id, they get lost in my mind

That was my thread I started when I first got this buggy and I got no answers at that time either. If I am one step closer they must be baby steps. Other than knowing that there are 3 more like it.

Well, originally we didn't know if so/eone simply added the letttering on the dash before paint, which wouldhave indicated possibly modifying a known buggy body. Knowing there are three more points toward it having been manufactured that way. Its exciting to know there was a hood ornament as well.

I'd call that a step closer.

Jay  

Check my post out at this link http://www.dunebuggyarchives.com/forum/topic_show.pl?tid=2269 the body is identical to mine but the hood and dash are different. We thought it was a Spyder but Im not convinced. I found a buggy under the Poty Enterprises Registry that looks just like mine. Yours might be the spyder. Just my 2 cents.

Good Luck.

I know this is an old post but my dad worked for a guy named "Curly" Brehm here in San Antonio, Texas in maybe the late 60s early 70s. My dad stretched the vw chassis' and installed the White Wind bodies. I don't think the bodies were made in San Antonio but this was before my time. I met a gentlemen a few years ago in Converse that said he had a White Wind brochure with my dad's picture so I guess it's possible they were built entirely in SA. My dad had an orange metal flake buggy with Cadillac tail lights and he had trimmed the rear fenders to match the tires. It also had a chrome loop front bumper and primer on the nose from some previous damage. Just incase someone recognizes it I would love to see it again.

Karl,
I love to see information pop up no matter how long it has been.
Any chance of contacting that fella with the brochure? It would be great to scan it as old literature.

Jay

I have some great news. I spoke to Curly on the phone this evening on his 80th birthday. Karl, you will be happy to know that he fondly recalled your father, Melvin. Curly told me what a fantastic fabricator he was when Curly could go to Melvin and say "This is what I want to have made", and it was made & made right.

Now for the buggy info:
The company was indeed based in San Antonio. The company went by the name of White Wind Company (which was named after Pontiac's 1965 GTO White Wind ad campaign. The company changed focus after dune buggies to get into high performance VW parts and racing. At that point, the company went by the name of High Performance Manufacturing and Distribution.

The White Wind company made mot only the WHITE WIND buggy in this thread, but also a "VIPER" which also had the dash lettering, so that model should also be easy to ID if we get any pictures of that buggy.

The WHITE WIND buggy was modeled after two buggies: Bushmaster (from Austin Tx) And Meyers Manx. Curly told me that he liked certain traits in both buggy and wanted the WHITE WIND to incorporate the best of both bodies.

Curly does not have exact numbers, however, he tells me that somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 or 600 total buggies were made (between the Viper, which sold better than the White Wind, the White Wind, and the few T buggy bodies they made).

There were also about 10 very lightweight racing Viper bodies made, but Curly doubts any survived because the 'glass was so thin.

Now, the bodies were not actually made by the WHite Wind Company. The bodies were made by at least two companies, the first being a tub manufacturer that was local. Curly can't remember the name of the tub company that made the bodies, but he said they were not in business any longer.

The White Wind company also made a tube buggy (I'm thinking possibly a "rail" buggy?) and they called that the "Rock Rat"

White Wind made buggies from about 1967 to 1969... possibly into 1970... Curly wasn't exactly sure of the dates.

I'm hopeful Curly will be able to have his grandson assist him in scanning a few pictures he has on the wall of Curly and one of the dune buggies the White Wind company made. if I get something, I will be sure to post it.

Jay

Curly sent me an email today with some scans, so I will post them here:

Do you think we can and  the pics and info to the buggy ID area....there should be plenty of clear pictures of my White Wind buggy to add there

Note that these viper pics have two different hood scoop designs forward of the windshield