Here's Why Volkswagen Sold Over 21 Million Beetles | Beetle Diaries Ep. 9 

The windshield washer being powered by the air pressure in the spare tire is actually quite ingenious because it makes you to make sure your spare tire is always inflated.

I was 19 in 1963 when I bought my first Beetle and drove from Hamburg to Marrakesh (over 2000 Miles) on country roads in seven days! The car was fitted with radial tires (a novelty at that time), KONI shock absorbers and negative camber in the back, plus TT exhaust tips to get rid of that awful chirping sound. What a car! I survived three major car accidents with my Beetle....She never let me down! RIP.

I was 18 when i bought my beetle that was in in 2017 so yes i am 20 and i own a beetle. Most girls my age think i am weird i think it is the most wonderfull car ever made. I love my 1976 beetle 💕💕

It puts a big smile on my face every time I see one. I love the sound. Its a happy little car. Thanks.

The octane rating is written as 91 ROZ/RON, which is the European value. This is equivalent to 87 octane in North America, regular gasoline. Nothing unusual here.

I owned a Beetle for 17 years. Not a Super Beetle. There was a valve so that once the air pressure in the spare hit a certain point, it would no longer power the washer. In 17 years, it never leaked and never left me with a flat spare. The car was great. It still ran perfectly, but the body rusted out. Vandals rolled it and left it with a leak that wasn't repaired properly. I loved that car. Drove it cross country 3 times.

One of the best cars ever made, period, and there's nothing strange about it, you're just too young to get it.

I owned 2 1964's a 68 and a 69 fastback, I worked in a VW dealership for a couple of years, then opened my own shop. There is a lot wrong with this video, but it was fun, there are a number of comments that are also incorrect but I put that to the age of some of the folks making the comments. Early VW's with 6 volt systems had a metal cover over the battery with a thick paper glued on the underside. 12 volt models had a plastic shield over the positive terminal, many do to poor maintenance got thrown away, many used the incorrect battery. The fuel filter shown and complained about wasn't factory equipment, it was aftermarket. Dealer repair shop or owner installed. Many have commented on the the octane issue, also starting in 71 forward the engines had hardened valve seats and valve faces for use with unleaded. Someone mentioned oil leaks, normally these cars were pretty tight, oil cooler seals would leak if they got hard, easy fix, push rod tube seals could leak, same reason or if a valve job was done and push rod tubes were not stretched back to proper length or replaced with new and new seals. Someone said WD-40 on the door hinges- there were plastic plugs on the hinges originally, and you used oil on them at each service. No problems if you did. The outside fuel door did not appear in US models until 1968, prior you opened the front hood/bonnet. Someone mentioned a no clutch model that was the Automatic Stick Shift, it worked well. These were and remain great little cars.

Just like Doug DeMuro, I see the same trend of calling once-common features of older cars "quirks", such as the lack of a passenger side rear-view mirror. Believe it or not, that didn't become commonplace on all new cars until the mid-1990s. Before then, most cars had good enough visibility that you didn't really need one.

Also in answer to your question. The reason beetles have running boards is... when Porsche made the original prototype it did not have those and mud and dirt splattered all over the back of the car. They are there to prevent the car getting as dirty.

I used to own a 1963 and 1973 Volkswagen Beetle and they were both great cars. I was also lucky to have a father who worked for Volkswagen and he owned a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle and was a mechanic and when I was 13 I rebuild my first Volkswagen engine back in 1973. These cars you kind of have to be a mechanic to maintain the car properly or at least know the owner's manual to know how far you can go with certain things so in regards to having your tire pressure for your spare tire up there for your windshield wiper that was something the owner need to maintain otherwise he or she will have no air in their tire in case they need it for a wheel change in case of a flat. My father's 1968 Beetle ran it up to 280,000 miles while my 1973 Beetle I had 200,000 miles on it. So compared to what my friends had I actually had the better car even though it was slower than theirs but it was the best car to ride around in the winter time or actually through any seasons. My family has traveled all over the USA on them with zero issues! In regards to running the heat in the car the heating system had to be maintained including making sure the channels in the chassis of the car was not rusted and that was hard to do sometimes but still it was something that had to be cleaned and maintained by the owner so the system will work properly. Still all in all I really enjoyed my years owning the VW Bug.

I own a 1972 beetle that has been sitting out on my grandparents property withering away so I dug it out of the ground and I’m fixing it right now and your videos are really helping me understand this car even if mine is a normal beetle!!! Thx!!!

I have fond memories of the Beetle as a child. Our Beetle was blue. My family, all five of us, would go grocery shopping and we all would fit with a ton of bags of groceries in our laps etc. We got it all home! Best car in the snow too!

i actually clicked on this thinking it was a doug video

When I was 16 my parents surprised me with my first car, a 1974 VW Superbeetle. This was in 1996 and this car was old even back then, built before I was born. This car was more like a best friend that was with me for years. She lasted me up through college and then sat in my parents garage until she was towed away in 2005. I sold her for pennies to a guy my family knew that gave her a full restore. No regrets, she did me well. She is living on and living the dream.

Wow, that window handle brought back memories of my childhood. We drove from Germany to Austria for holidays, my father and mother in the front seats, 4 brothers and sisters in the back, and me and my sister in the hat storage compartment behind.

Thank you for this video. I drove a beetle in Germany in the 60's. Came to Canada in 1970, did not know any American cars. Japanese cars were expensive and very few. So I bought a 1971 Beetle for $ 2000 and drove her for about 7 years. One thing you did not mention in the video, there was beside the break pedal a small device you had to turn it halfway and you had opened the supply line to a half gallon of gasoline to get you to the gas station. Another feature was a small engine in the front compartment which produced heat for the windshield for cold weather in Canada. Take care Chris from Toronto

Guys, that 91 Octane suggestion is from a time with different RON rating methods. 91 used to be the cheap gas, with 94, 98, and sometimes ~102 octanes as options; however with the rating rules changes 91 became 87, etc. You should be able to run 87 octane if you want to save some $$$. Edit: we used to have RON ratings for octane levels, now we use CLC octane numbers which are [RON + MON]/2 RON = research octane number MON = motor octane number CLC = Cost of Living Council octane number; usually ~ 4 points lower than RON rating.

I was driving Beetles long before you guys were born. Great to see you enjoying one too!

When I was 16 I bought my first car and it too was a Red 1971 Super Beetle. Thanks for the blast from the past.

Hey guys, thanks for stopping by. If you want to see more Beetle Diaries videos, check out the full playlist here: ru-vid.com/group/PL5K0kN-40ieaFA0rJxQw9Kjhs7j8hiuVF

This is a video for people born after 1970 or so. Some of the things you find a bit odd were common place in a lot of cars. The VW fenders came off with a handful of bolts and made "bodywork" a breeze. An average guy could lift the entire engine out by himself (200 lbs. or so) and do whatever work to it or replace it outright. If you replaced the radio with any sort of decent stereo and speakers the acoustics were incredible. People used to say it was because of the dome shape. The VW also had an innovative auto clutch on some models in which you still shifted gears but did not have a clutch to push in. Many cars never had a tach, people actually knew the nuances of driving back then. Of course, a sideview mirror on the passenger side is commonplace today but it was an extra on many cars, including American cars at that time. Believe it or not those cars were great in the snow, at least mine was. These were great cars that were inexpensive and also inexpensive to maintain.

Many years ago, I owned a Beetle which I acquired after it was already heavily used (I am not sure of the model year anymore, was it a '78?) It had a 1600cc engine and true, the windshield washers used the air pressure from the spare tire. Not wanting to get caught with a limp spare tire when the need came, I bought a third party washer which came with its own 12 V water motor. I loved that car. Reliable as hell. It was so easy to trouble shoot. I am sorry I sold it. I miss you, my faithful beetle.

I just bought 1973 Super Beetle. I'm only 19 and I don't know too much about everything under the hood in my beetle. This video has helped a ton!!! Thank you!

I was 16 in 1987 and my first car was a 70 vw bug. This brought back some great memories.

It was fun watching you guys talking about stuff that was very commonplace back in the day.

I love the VW Beetle. It's one of my most favorite cars of all time! Heck it's the car that got me hooked on automobiles in the first place!

I was the proud owner of a 1972 Beetle purchased new until 1980. It was so reliable and easy to maintain, and it took me to and from college and for years after. Thanks for bringing back the memories. I miss my vintage Beetle!

Awesome video guys! So interesting to have an in-depth look at all the little design elements of this amazing car.

As a former Beetle owner, I enjoyed your video. You did a good job explaining the characteristics of the vehicle. I would like to note one exception: The chrome tailpipes are not "exhaust tips". They are actually called "resonators" and are part of the muffling system. The resonators are baffled, which is why when they are removed from the vehicle the exhaust becomes quite loud.

FYI the VW beetle did not have unibody construction. The body was bolted to a floor pan frame which allowed for bolt on custom bodies like the beach buggy.

This brings back a lot of memories, I was a little kid in the 70s and my grandfather had a couple of these Volkswagens, a 68 and a 71. I remember most of that stuff in the car, now I know what they were for, thanks for the video

Please, under the back seat, add a rubber cover for that battery terminals, it can produce a short circuit if the terminals hit the seat structure. Very good video! Keep it up.

Only thing missing is the relaxed fit clothing, and mandatory crew neck undershirt with a T-shirt.🤣

I love these cars. I miss my Beetle and my Karman Ghia. They were no nonsense, no frills transportation.

Man, that brings back a lot of memories! My dad had a baby blue 76 super beetle, and every Friday he would try to load it up as best he could, with my sister and I are in the backseat and my parents in the front, there wasn’t much room for anything else, but that car just kept going and going and going. I was just a kid being born in 1968, but man did I ever love that car, I literally cried when my dad sold it! I think the most uncomfortable time was in the spring and autumn, Why?, Because that’s when we would have to take her a little 10 hp boat motor home with us from the cottage, if we left it there it will get stolen over the winter as they were always break-ins every single winter. I don’t know how my father did it, my sister is six years older than me, Ann with nearly 6 feet tall, then there was a 10 hp Vikings outboard motor between us in the backseat, with my poor mom in the front, and my father who is 6 foot two, sweating his ass off, and getting really impatient as my sister and I would fight the entire way there and back. It’s a wonder my dad didn’t have a heart attack!, But as a kid I didn’t care, I absolutely love it that car, and told my dad that I was going to take it when I was old enough to drive, but I never got the chance. I took the new beetle for a test drive, what a piece of shit, nothing can replace the original Beatles, and nothing ever will! My funniest memory was in the winter time, because first of all the cars had absolutely no heat whatsoever, and they won’t built very solid, I know this because the battery, which is located under the backseat, fell through the floor and onto the highway as I was sitting on the seat. I can remember hearing this big dog, looking back on the highway to see our battery in the middle of the highway, as the cars buttered to where very quick stop, and my father hurling obscenities, those were the good old days!

Your battery needs a plastic cap on the positive terminal! There is more than one couple whose Beetle went up in flames while engaging in, um, back-seat activities. Remember this horse-hair filling and those straps on the b-pillars?

Bought my first with $500 down and $50 a month for 36 months.

I have a 1966 VW beetle in very good shape,no rust with 40,000 actual miles.Love it!

My first two cars have both been orange Beatles in the early to mid eighties. With one of them I drove from north of Germany, a town called Cuxhaven to the south of France, all along the coast and back home without any problems. The video brought back some memories...

Felix is such an amazing Beetle, damn you lucked out finding one that nice. This was such a fun "review" to watch. It was really neat seeing all the quirks & features of a beetle pointed out.

Corvair's were the same...lower tire pressure up front. Really helps settle down the front end and drives great when they're inflated properly.

This review is so well done, and fair! My '71 Superbeetle was great. Not perfect, but great. It had after market air conditioning that pulled a lot of power from the motor. I put 265 thousand miles on that little yellow VW over 14 years, had it painted once. Never broke down, but the light front end was very sensitive to wheel imperfections and balancing issues. It would cruise all day at 75 mph. With snow tires on the rear, it would pass many other vehicles in deep snow. I always used radial tires, and they were great. It was so easy and fun to drive, and it was really neat to know that it was reliable. The brakes had two separate masters and slave systems for diagonally opposed wheels, front and rear, so that if one set failed, the light would come on, but the brakes were still operable enough to stop the car relatively safely. But that never happened over my 14 years. It was not a quiet car, not a cushy ride, but I rarely had any passengers, since it was my commuter for work and town errands only. Longer drives were comfortable enough as well! I loved that little car as much as any I have owned, and I have had all the new luxury/sport modern cars that I have wanted. There was just something great about such a personal, simple little car, even with all the quirks. Changing oil required a little time, but you did not have to deal with paper cartridge style oil filters. Driving in cold weather, it usually took about ten minutes for the forced air heat to come from the exhaust manifold....but when it did warm up, it would warm up the little cabin enough to bake bread if you did not adjust it down a little. I remember the car with positive sentiment, because it was the first and only "beater car" that I ever owned, and it was reliable and predictable. I do remember the voltage regulator under the rear seat, however, that needed replacement twice over the 14 years...and that was until I found a Bosch, a quality item, and never had to deal with that issue again. The beep of the little horn was indeed more like a "mmmeep", and useless, essentially. It was trying to yell with your mouth shut and blowing up your cheeks...There is just something about the Beetle that was special, and you guys are right - you either loved it or hated it. I might buy a 71 Superbeetle now and restore it just for s and g's.

Thanks guys for the great vid. In the 70s my dad was a body & fender man at the local VW dealership in Bakersfield & we all had VWs of varying years & models cause dad would buy wrecked ones from the insurance companies & rebuild them at our garage at home. One bad thing about the VW Beetles was the clutch & accelerator were controlled by steel cables. So you always carried extra ones with you in the trunk.

I've been dreaming of a beetle ever since I was a kid. I've always loved the design, the sound of the engine and the charm of this car.

The running boards are there in order to help gain access to the roof mounted rack that held luggage or packages and tools as needed.

I had this car, even had 4 of them. Red, navy Blue, yellow, and light blue. They were great little cars. Some people hated them, but that's because they weren't flashy.

I had a Beetle in college. Loved it. When the snow was deep, covering the car, brush it off the back intake, starts right up and runs. No AWD or 4 WD. Truly an automotive marvel for its time. Porsche 911S Targa I had reminded me a bit of the Beetle

Hey, I'm an old guy still wanting an old beetle. You guys are very funny. Great video... Thanks

I remember burning my leg on a beetle's exhaust pipe when I was little... Nice memories 🤣

I have owned about 12 of them they are fun and easy to work on. Durable to a point just like anything else they have their problems but parts used to be cheap but not anymore. Unless you throw on some off brand after market parts. If you do then be ready to work on it again.

A friend had a 67, had a heater didn’t work, the forearm was used clear the windshield. Would go anywhere in the snow, but was warmer to walk. I still love hearing them on the road,they make me smile.

if your heater has gone cold in the front then you have leaks in the system somewhere

IMO the 1302S was the best all round beetle of this era. Flat screen, 1600cc, disc brakes and proper suspension. I've owned 2 and would gladly own another!

I had a 71 Super Beetle 30+ years ago. I used the running board to wash the roof of the car. I found it VERY handy.

Very good DeMuro impression. One of you really nailed it. Both in tone and the way Doug talks.

"horse-hair" isn't actually hair from a horse... it's coconut fiber.

Brake pads? You mean shoes, I'm sure!

My first was a 1962. and second was a 1966. The car was amazing in snow and mud and needed regular maintenance but was otherwise worry free. You had to have one to understand.

The octane rating is for what was sold as "regular" in Germany. When "regular" was phased out some years ago, the rating was 92. Today, the lowest ROZ available is 95, and it comes with either 5 % or 10 % Ethanol.

Never step on the running board !

When I was growing up my Father had two of these Volkswagen Beetles. One of them was a 1965 Beetle, the other was a 1972 Beetle. The biggest difference between the two was that the 1972 Beetle had substantially more power than the 1965 Beetle. Otherwise both of these cars were very basic transportation and economy cars.

My super beetle caught on fire in the school parking lot because there was no battery cover under the rear seat. Still didn’t stop it! Put the fire out and put a shoe over the terminals and drove away! It was a tank with no heat in the winter. Never got stuck but I had to scrape the windshield on the inside lol. Good times and loved that orange mini tank

My first car was a 1963 VW Beetle which I bought in 1974 for $250 running. It was such a fun car to drive. My friend had a 1966 which had some improvements on it. Both cars had 6V electrical systems, but his had emergency flashers and a center windshield outlet in addition to the two side outlets that mine had. The fuel gauge was directly connected to the float in the gas tank by a slender cable. It worked! Both of our cars had King Pin front suspension, rather than ball joints. These required grease and adjustment. My engine was a 1200 and his was a 1300. The washer fluid tank actually has a tire valve in it which you pressurized, not the spare tire which came later. Both cars had vent wing windows which were very effective. The rear engine location made the car better than most without air conditioning. I took my best friend to college in Buffalo from New York City, mounting his bicycle on the back with a bicycle rack that I still have today. I have fond memories of my Beetle. I later had a 1966 Westfalia camper which I also loved, but that's another story!

Simple is better in terms of functional design; that was the success of this Volkswagon.

My grandma had one havent seen it it was in 1967 or something im from 2001, hope it drives still because i would like to buy it 😫

My first car was a 1965 Beetle. Drove it back and forth to college for three years, loved it!! It was the epitome of simplicity.

The tail pipes are called resonators. When the inner metallic mesh lining loosen they rattle making that chirping noise. You can stop that noise by crimping the tail pipe tips to stop the rattling or replacing them with new ones.

It is the European version of Ford Model T, and did the same thing. It was a cheap but reliable car and now everyone could own a car in Europe as well.

Ever since "The Love Bug" came out, i've always wanted a Beetle.

Awesome Episode! I was pretty much born in a 1965 Beetle... only car my Dad bought new. Love the quirks and features!

I bought a sweet tan 1968 model two weeks ago, and it brought a smile to my face when I discovered the battery by accident as I was exploring the rear seat and how to fold it.

Please cover the terminals on your battery.

The Beetle (and 356) isn't *exactly* a unibody; it's more like a body-on-frame layout but the floor is part of the frame. That's why it's the go-to basis for kit cars, it's really easy to rebody one.

The air is still hot when it gets to the windshield. I had my 1968 beetle from 1968 to 1982, at which point the windshiled was still getting hot air. Re the rear seat, you can easily remove the bottom cushion, giving you even more room. You can remove the seatbacks too, giving you even more room. Maximum speed, as well as all-day cruising speed, is 78 miles per hour. Tool kit goes in front luggage compartment, NOT under the rear seat.

Great video, you guys.....growing up, we were ' raised' on a '61 & '66 ( ALICE & SIR JAMES...names that my mother gave them) My first driving experience was a 1971 green beetle belonging to a family friend who lived in Brattleboro, VT... my driving lessons @ age 11 included all the dirt backroads near the Artists College in that area......back WHEN LIVING in the country meant something. Thank you guys for the great memories.!!😊😊👍👍

Mhhh, you obviously never drove a Beatle in it's hay day. Let me tell you, back in my younger days, the weird "grab handles" in the back as you called them were really useful. Let's just say they fit feet too...

I literally just bought a 1971 Super Beetle like that two weeks ago, its just awesome Lol

That drum-brake star-wheel adjuster is exactly what I've just had to do, changing the parking-brake drum shoes on my 2003 BMW E46... The last time I'd had to do that was on my '66 Beetle I had in 1976.

I loved the solid feel of the doors closing.

I hope this series never ends!! #bugforlife

...There was no gas shortage in 1971....that was 3 years later....these was the best and most honest cars ever made...

I had a 1963 Beetle from high school through college, Army, grad school, and career. What a car! I called it my 4 speed stick shift suitcase. It had its own quirks and I think I liked it better than the Super Beetle. The windshield washer tank was in the same place but it was charged directly by an air hose from the gas station, no spare tire assist. I could twist the nozzle a little bit and squirt water into the car next to me. I had a bermuda bell, air horn, and CB radio. I didn't like that it had a 6v battery. The "heater" had a twist knob that regulated how much "hot" air it would let through. It worked though. One night I was returning to Flagstaff from the Phoenix airport and was unconscously twisting the heater knob and the car stayed warm. The first reader board I saw in Flagstaff said the temp was -35. The only gauges were gas and speed and the gas gage was introduced a few years earlier. Before then, when you ran out of gas, you twisted a lever to switch to a spare tank and looked for a gas station. I figured a tank of gas (8 gal) took me about 250 miles. I figured it cost me $4.50 to drive from LA to Flagstaff. The bug got around well in the snow. When everybody put on chains, I didn't need them. When no one could get out, I'd put on chains and be good to go. It would go places an FWD couldn't go. Four people could carry it. The engine access door wasn't squared off at the bottom like a 1970 so sometimes I needed to pull on the rear bumper to open or close it. No big deal, that was just a VW thing. It was probably the best car I ever owned and wish I still had it.

My Dad bought one of these as a commuter. I learned to drive in a Beetle; I was one of the few who could drive a manual tranny. My Mom used hate driving it and would always make me go shopping with her because she could never find reverse! Lots fond memories, great little car!

Really funny watching millennials awkwardly discovering simple technology that was purpose designed. Spent a lot of time talking about the problem of a deflated tire due to using a washer but yet since the tire only needs to be at 20 lbs if it were filled to say 40lbs initially would last you quite a long time. Another amazing feature not even discussed is the fact that the engine can be removed in a mere 15 minutes by a skilled mechanic..show me any other vehicle that you could do that with.

A few tips for the beetle! GET THAT FUEL FILTER OUT OF THE ENGINE BAY!!!!! Move it under the car near the transmission or under the gas tank. And, don’t lock the engine when you’re driving. If you have a fire, you won’t be able to lift the engine lid to put it out!

The frame having a built-in tube for the jackstand was so awesome because it allowed high confidence of it not slipping off the car should a small shift occur while jacking it.

Guys awesome review 👍 I just bought a couple of days ago a 1970 vw beetle with a 60’s front clip and some more custom parts I love it I will keep it for ever !

Bug is the kind of guy who buys his pants at the Caldor

omg I can't believe u guys did this LOL

I have a '70 bug all disassembled, but I'm not sure which direction I want to go. Definitely lowered but not sure about motor. And I haven't even started looking at paint colors yet. Thanks a million for sharing your rad vid man.

My uncle daily drove his super beetle up untill about 5 years ago, I loved that car and will buy one for myself one day.

it was my first car, I bought a 68 in 76 for $250, ran great, got me around, sure beat a Pinto or Vega!

I adored my Beetle. I wish I still owned one.

Speaking as an old timer, I gotta say man, you guys did a great job here. My first car, back in 1975, was a '66 1300, which I made into an off roader. I cut the back off of it, added dual cannon exhausts, flared the rear fenders and added Fiberglas flared front fenders and had some local old time beach buggy guys split and widen the stock wheels to 8" bead-bead front, 11(!) inches rear. Had air shocks on the rear and coil over helper springs on the front all cranked up to the max to keep the oversized tires from hitting. The suspension barely moved during street use and it was a handful in the rain ( I once did a 360 with it on the highway during rush hour). BTW, I can vouch for the fact that they DO float.

My first car was a 1966 Beetle (6 volt system) and I bought and loved two more since then. I adored them all and would trade my S80 Volvo D5 SE LUX for a decent Beetle in an instant. They never over-heat in traffic, they're easy to repair and parts are cheap and readily available.

I still love the Beetle....in fact, I wish they still sold them as I would buy one.

Wtf with the two finger door handle. You use your index finger.

Mine was a 1967 and I drove it for 15 years and 155,000 miles. Had just replaced the clutch for the first time when I sold it. 34 mpg on the interstate. Loved that car. Moved up to a 1982 Jetta which turned out to be a major lemon.

Awesome video, you guys did very well considering your age and the vehicles you would have grown up around. I grew up with these cars and they were the first cars I owned as well. A few corrections: 1) the windshield washer bottle cap had a regulator that is supposed to stop taking pressure off the tyre when the tyre pressure drops below a usable pressure (most likely a little above the back tyre pressure) so you were to over inflate the spare and use the excess for the washer. If there was a leak though between the tyre and that cover you would end up with a flat tyre. 2) they are not actually uni body as the upper body with doors etc can be unbolted from the chassis with floor and running gear except steering shaft. You could actually drive on the chassis alone after just rigging up steering. Keep it up.