Travels With Bruce

“Whenever I tell people that I always try to keep a low profile, they look at me strangely,” says Co-op member Art Wilson. It’s a great joke, given that Wilson’s preferred means of transportation is a gold, metal-flaked fiberglass dune buggy decked out with fishing rods, reels and a 12-foot-long shark, named Bruce, strapped to its roof. Even on a traffic-packed highway in summer, he can’t help but draw attention, and that’s just the way he likes it.

Wilson first purchased his buggy in 2008. He had always loved the sporty beach vehicles as a young man. Following his retirement, he decided to take up cruising as a way to fill his days. Fast forward almost 10 years later to 2017, Wilson says he was looking for something to add that would give his buggy what he refers to as a “wow factor.” 

Many of the people he knew with buggies often decorated them with beach memorabilia, most commonly  surfboards. Wilson was looking for something that would really stand out. Finally, it came to him — a life-size fish on the roof! After scouring the internet, he found a statue shop in South Hampton, N.Y., with a 110-pound fiberglass shark for sale. It was then that he knew his search was over. Since then, Wilson and Bruce have been turning heads everywhere they go.

“Once I added the shark, everybody started to notice me,” Wilson says. “They’re always waving, always taking pictures. It’s like being in a parade all 
the time.”

For Wilson, the connections he continues to make throughout his travels make the ride worthwhile. If you see him at a car show or cruising event, you can be sure to find him eagerly discussing all things dune buggy with everyone who stops by.

“I don’t want to just sit in the back and let people look at my car, then let them walk on by. They have a story, and I have a story too. At these events, it’s all about getting to know people, and most of them have seen me cruising around,” Wilson says.

In 2016, Wilson had the opportunity to travel to Kitty Hawk, N.C., to meet the creator of the dune buggy design, Bruce Meyers. What he originally intended to be a quick meet and greet, turned into a three-day weekend spent with 30 additional buggy owners, culminating in a six-hour beach cruise. It was then that Wilson became a member of the Manx Dune Buggy Club, a worldwide organization with over 7,000 members. The club’s motto is a message Wilson embodies fully: “More smiles per mile.”

“When I’m out riding, I’m just passing on to others what Bruce Meyers started back in 1964,” Wilson says. “I’m traveling around, making people smile and bringing joy.”

For additional photos and videos of Wilson and Bruce’s latest adventures, members can follow their Facebook page, Delaware First Shark “Bruce.”