Swamp buggy races have been a quirky Southwest Florida tradition for decades. But their origins were less playful—the funky-looking vehicles came about as a necessity for Florida life.

About 100 years ago, Southwest Florida was largely swampy with boggy marshes and dense forests. Getting around wasn’t exactly easy.

Ed Frank came to Bonita Springs from the West Coast, and brought along a buggy called Skeeter that he had built out of junk Model T parts when he was 19 years old. He eventually settled in Naples, starting a garage on Fifth Avenue South. Skeeter was originally designed to scale Californian mountains, and Frank started tinkering to make it more accommodating to Florida swamps. He eventually built the Tumble Bug, what’s now considered the first official swamp buggy, with huge tires that could take on the muddiest of bogs. It proved perfect for hunting expeditions deep into the Everglades.

As years went by, the popularity of the buggies grew, with mechanics and farmers (and even Florida police departments) building their own from scrapped parts from tractors, trucks or whatever else that could be of use. After World War II, the tinkerers got their hands on surplus airplane tires and Jeep parts, and the race to make the best buggy was on. Frank and his Naples buddies started to have informal races in the fall before hunting season started. In 1949, the first Swamp Buggy Races event was held in Naples.

After decades of development, the practicality of the swamp buggy may have faded—but its legend lives on. The 2024 Swamp Buggy Racing season kicks off Dec. 2 at Florida Sports Park in East Naples.