Vic Wilson, an early desert racing pioneer and the winner of the very first NORRA Mexican 1000, passed away on July 12 at his home with his wife Betty Jean by his side. He was 90 years old.

Wilson was born in April 1935, growing up riding motorcycles and driving Jeeps in the deserts of southern California. In 1965, he won the inaugural National Four-Wheel Drive Grand Prix organized by Brian Chuchua. He also ran an auto service shop, through which he connected with buggy developer Bruce Meyers.

Meyers recruited Wilson to try out his new Meyers Manx buggy, which he brought to Baja California to compete in the inaugural Mexican 1000 in 1967. With Ted Mangels as his co-driver, Wilson led the way for the four-wheelers before catching up to the motorcycles. Eventually, he crossed paths with bike leaders J.N. Roberts and Malcolm Smith, who had gotten lost and were trying to figure out where the course was.

Upon reaching the final 100 miles, a paved part of the course, he swapped to the navigator’s seat and let Mangels bring the Meyers to the finish. The duo completed the race in 27 hours and 38 minutes, shattering the previous Tijuana–La Paz record of 31 hours set by Spencer Murray and Ralph Poole. Besides winning the overall, they naturally also topped Class II for production buggies and 4WD vehicles. Wilson recalled he was so tired that he only realized they had reached the finish because of the crowds of people and guitars and trumpets playing to celebrate.

The Los Angeles Times reported a few days later:

It’s an account that will take some time to complete—mainly because getting information out of Baja California is like driving through the country . . . difficult and sometimes impossible.

Nevertheless, it is definite that records were set in the first running of the Mexican 1000 Rally. And the wild, mass automotive assault on the barren peninsula isn’t over yet. Wrecked and crippled motor vehicles reportedly line the deso-late route. One stranded driver reported he stood by his expired car for 20 hours awaiting help.

Apparently a dune buggy set a new Tijuana-La Paz elapsed time record of 27 hours, 38 minutes. It was a Meyers Manx, co-driven by Vic Wilson and Ted Man-gels of Costa Mesa. Wiped out then was the record of 31 hours, set last July by a stock 1967 Rambler American. Spencer Murray, 40, of Saugus and Ralnh Poole, 42, of Burbank, jarred the off-the-road set with that spectacular non-stop run.

Wilson finished fifth at the second Mexican 1000 after the wheel came off while leading, then had an electrical failure during the 1969 edition that relegated him to second. In 1970, he and Drino Miller broke through to win the 1000 in a buggy built by Miller; the two completed the race in 11 hours and 31 minutes.

“In those days, in 1967, the Baja 1000 was not campaigned like it is today,” Wilson commented in a 2024 feature for Meyers Manx. “It was a pretty low-key event. However, it was enjoyable. The town was ready for us. It was a great event. The only problem I was thinking about is, ‘How do I get my car back to the United States?’ because I wasn’t about to drive it back.”

As the years progressed, what was then a modestly organized race down the peninsula would become the world’s biggest desert race in SCORE’s Baja 1000. NORRA and the Mexican 1000 still exist today in a vintage rally raid format after being revived in 2010; a replica of Wilson and Mangels’ red #10 Meyers Manx has also competed in the new Mexican 100 with Lyman Scherer.

Also in 1967, Wilson sold his service stations to create Saddleback Park, a 700-acre off-road park near Irvine. He ran the park through 1980, during which it became one of the preeminent venues for motocross and BMX racing. Wilson also helped set up off-roading areas across the western United States. From 1968 to 1989, he organized the Bug-In meetup for Volkswagens; it returned in 2000 under Wison’s old employee Rich Kimball and continues to this day as various events around the world.

Wilson was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1978.

Featured image credit: Meyers Manx / The Baja Bug Movie