The Villages - May 2021 - Cover3

I'M 55, AND ANYONE MY AGE OR
OLDER REMEMBERS THE CARTOON 'SPEED
BUGGY' AND ALL OF THAT, SO PEOPLE
ARE INSTANTLY DRAWN TO IT.

- Larry Ricci

" Everyone goes, 'You spelled it wrong!' And I have to show
them the original sales brochure on my phone, " he said, laughing.
Hailing from New York's Hudson Valley, Ricci hunted for a
custom dune buggy for a few years before happening upon this
one that was up for sale. A previous owner purchased the buggy in
pieces and had begun the buggy's restoration, but only was able to
partially complete it before stopping due to health issues.
When Ricci purchased the buggy, he finished
the restoration and added some of his own personal
modifications.
" I fabricated the roof and quarter windows, " he said.
" They're cut down from a modified race car roof, and I
hand-fabricated the quarter windows, because I knew
here in Florida it would need a hard top. "
Ricci kept the buggy's green color untouched, and he
added some custom-painted yellow pinstriping on the body for
extra flair. On the backseat, the " 2¢ " symbol is an homage to the
previous owner, who was a truck driver and used " 2¢ " as his CB
radio handle.
Ricci and his wife split their time between New York and Florida,
but he says the buggy will stay here in Florida, where they take it
to car shows and beaches throughout the state. Anywhere they go,
the car tends to draw a crowd.
" It draws a lot of attention wherever you go, " he said, laughing.
" I'm 55, and anyone my age or older remembers the cartoon
'Speed Buggy' and all of that, so people are instantly drawn to it.
Everywhere I go, someone wants to talk about how their uncle had
one. "
Whether on a drive on a Central Florida beach or simply
around The Villages, Ricci says the buggy is a pleasure to drive,
allowing him and his wife to take in the Florida weather and
sunshine.
" We enjoy it immensely, " he said. " It's a car you can drive
on the highway without a problem, but cruising around
town is where it's the best. I have no plans on selling it, and
we want to keep it and use it for that purpose. "
Recently retired and no longer racing,
Ricci now has more time to dive into some
special car projects, of which the dune
buggy is the first of many.
" It was something I always
wanted my whole life, but other
priorities got in the way, " he said.
" Getting out of racing and wanting
to keep busy in car projects, this
was the first of several. "

MAGAZINE

63
The Villages - May 2021

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