1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle Review - The BIGGER Beetle From West Germany!

[@ottolinden371]

That's my beetle! It was very cool to see my brother's Trabant and my Beetle compared. To my knowledge, this is the first time this has been done on KZbin. Thank you for your review, which immortalizes the unique vehicles that people drive.

[@drewzero1]

I love that they're the same color! I miss when my brother and I had matching hatchbacks, now all that matches on our project cars is the rust. 😂

[@ottolinden371]

@@drewzero1The color matching wasn’t intentional, in fact I wasn’t even looking for a classic car. We happened to see it for sale when we were driving the trabi and just had to check it out. We’ve always had a soft spot for beetles mostly because we watched the Herbie films growing up lol

[@drewzero1]

@@ottolinden371 That's even cooler tbh. I always loved the Herbie movies growing up, and as it happens my own bug is white... But I've always felt they looked better in blue!

[@NanuqoftheNorth]

Had a baby blue 1973 Super Beetle with a curved windshield, deeper dash and a revised steering wheel designed without a horn ring. Even with the additional horsepower, I had to put the gas pedal to the floor going down hill to ensure I had enough momentum to make it up the next incline. Fond memories of my youth! I don't doubt that my underpowered Super Beetle kept me out of trouble when it came to being on local law enforcement's radar.

[@michaelconverse5127]

A few things …while it looks flat, vw windshields from 1965 on had a very slight curve to them-this was done to reduce reflections at night. As you said 71-2 super beetles had the same “flat” windshield as standard beetles, while the 73-up supers had a noticeably curved window. Standard beetles kept the “flat” windshield to the end of production (1977 for the USA and 2003 in Mexico ) You’re correct in that the windshield washer did use air pressure from the spare tire, however, there was a check valve that would not allow the tire to go below limit for us as a spare. As long as all of the parts were in place , you’d run out of windshield washer pressure and not spare tire pressure While the super was introduced in 1971, it was sold alongside the standard beetle in sedan form. Super beetle sedans we’re discontinued from the United States market after the 1975 mile year while the standard beetle sedan was sold here through the end of 1977. All convertibles from 1971 until the production in January 1980 were based on the super beetle. While no more powerful than a standard beetle, the super offered a number of advantages : About twice the front trunk space Greatly reduced turning circle Larger front brakes Longer wheelbase Larger fuel tank More standard equipment Improved crash performance Improved ride and handling. Wider front track

[@jefferysmith3930]

That was my first car! An orange ‘71 Super Beetle with a crank operated steel sunroof. I got it it 1986….a 15 year old car. It was totally worn out and rusted with a hole under the battery that I never fixed. Had to have the engine rebuilt. Repainted (red) carpet replaced…on and on. It was crude. It was basic. I lived in FL, so the heater was adequate. I loved it nonetheless. That said, I currently drive a 32 year old Honda Prelude and a 28 year old Honda Odyssey that do all the things a modern car should do: heat/ac, power conveniences, automatic transmission, decent sound system, an airbag or two. I couldn’t sleep at night if my kids were driving car such as this. My parents….not at all worried…back in the day….It was a different time. Today my kids drive 15-20 year old cars that have most of the modern safety features: abs, Traction control. Front, side, curtain airbags. How far cars have come in a few years

[@briang70]

My first car was also an orange 1971 Super Beetle which I bought for cheap as it didn't run in 1986. I had mine painted blue, though.

[@christopher4162]

Yesssss a beetle review. I love beetles

[@shiftmotorsports9803]

My 1st car! Had it going over 90mph going down a long, steep hill with my friends in it...Terrifying!

[@juliancrooks3031]

I had a 71 super beetle. It was my favorite of all the cars I ever owned

[@carllinden533]

7:07 Love that transition

[@nr5860]

I had a 1973 a regular Beetle in mid 80s. Same color & stick. I absolutely loved it. The most fun car I've ever had. Even more fun than my 1976 Rabbit.

[@robertvance1873]

When VW was Good 👍

[@nathanjoseph4284]

2:52 I love it when you honk horns on cars (especially vintage ones) so we know what the horns sound like in case anyone's curious!

[@herbertarnold3989]

i drove one of those all thru the winters in the high sierra, great snow car, vw should go back to cranking those out theyd sell millions of them in this economy even with prices adjusted for inflation.

[@wigletron2846]

Pretty sure these are still sold brand new in other countries

[@nate_d376]

I've had 3 of 'em. '62, '64, '69. Miss having one.

[@robertbrodowski1379]

My first car, in the early eighties, was a 1972 Super Beetle, and it was very much like this reviewed '71 so this was like a trip down memory lane.

[@christopherbrown6697]

My first car is a '71 Super Beetle sunroof sedan. I still have it, but a tree fell on it last year, so the rolling floorpan, bolt-on components, and VIN will likely be all that survive a restoration. Note: The seats on the review car have been redone (Understandably given the age) and it would have originally had basketweave embossed vinyl with the familiar hair padding that contributed to that familiar Beetle smell.

[@ottolinden371]

If it was redone it wasn’t me, and likely a long time ago. They definitely still have horse hair in them front and rear because it’s shedding everywhere! And it definitely smells. The front seats padding is pretty flat I can feel the springs and the padding on the backrests pokes you. They need to be redone like most of the car.

[@stopmessingwithyt]

Where is this West Germnay? I'd like to visit!

[@Iron-Griffon]

Go to Germnay then head west.

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

Check a pre 1989 map.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@EnthusiastCarHangar I did, West Germnay wasn't on it. Is it near West Germany?

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

@@bwofficial1776 basically if you split Germany in half the west side was West Germany plus Berlin and the east side was East Germany also called DDR in German. Capital city of West Germany was Bonn and of East Germany it was Berlin since Berlin also was split between West and East and it was the wall that split it same as the country.

[@BobAbc0815]

Westward of the German Democratic Republic, somewhere near Trizonesia.

[@mattwolf7698]

I read that that there was a valve for the washer fluid that kept the air from going too low

[@ottolinden371]

I didn’t know that, I wonder how well it would work.

[@dfharris03]

This is so cool. The last upgrade came in 1973 when the windshield became cured and the rear lights enlarged. You could argue that it pioneerd the Frunk!

[@althunder4269]

VW SB had different front suspension. Struts vs. trailing arms and torsion bars.

[@user-ss3ud7pp7f]

Awesome. had a 72 square back same color. Stick shift no AC it was a blast.

[@skaminsky102]

That’s what I drove all through high school! Wish I still had it!

[@aztecducky]

5:00 there is a mechanism inside the cap of the washer reservoir that prevents the washer sprayers from being used if the spare tire is under 28 PSI, which is about the recommended pressure for the spare when in use. VW tells you to fill the spare tire up to about 45 PSI so you get plenty of washes before it hits the minimum pressure and stops working.

[@seanvgainey]

I like the exhaust clip. You should include cold starts in your videos. Awesome work as usual!

[@raymond_sycamore]

I sent this to my dad.

[@homefrontforge]

1968 semi-automatic 2 speed. I don't remember the cc's, but Kawasaki came out with a motorcycle that had about 100 more cc's in the mid to late 70s. My dad bought it new for my mom. I remember dumping a box of crayons on my leg that melted in front of one of those rear seat heater vents. It was the first car I ever drove. Hauled classmates all over tarnation during high-school. Really got our money's worth out of the car. It was green.

[@f2john]

IIRC the washer fluid squirter would stop working once the pressure in the spare dropped to a certain psi so that it would have enough air to be used. My first car was a green 73 Super I bought in 87.

[@danielhurley7047]

You are correct, the system is designed to shut the air flow off when the tire gets to 26 pounds pressure.

[@GuntanksInSpace]

I learned to drive in the following year's Super Beetle that my dad used to own. It's very basic, and it's got flaws left and right (and it may be cursed, one time the carb nearly chewed dad's finger off lol) but it was charming to drive when I was practicing with it! This was a cool video!

[@tadhgwright4345]

I just saw the Trabant video from Aging Wheels, I'll see how yours compares. =)

[@mbd501]

My family had a Beetle when I was very young. We traded it in for a new 1977 Rabbit. The Rabbit seemed like a luxury car in comparison.

[@nr5860]

BTW, I love your vids! Keep them coming.

[@SergioAlvarez-lh8cn]

Grow up in this car . Best memories ever 😍. This was back In Bolivia in the 90s.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

Everyone who owned a Beetle back then bought an aftermarket console for between the seats which had cup holders. That’s where the whole idea started, and which later became standard.

[@warrenlucier5796]

I had a Yukon Yellow Deluxe Beetle back when I was 18. The Bugs were very popular and were know as the poor mans Porsche.

[@JohnnyRoku]

Fantastic review zack! I was really looking forward to seeing the review of a super beetle to see how it compares to my 70 beetle 😄

[@861-k1t]

The bug was most times a good reliable car. You could get a bad one and if so it was always a pain. I never knew why one could be so mean. It was a simple vehicle. Easy to work on and would take you anywhere. The heat was slow coming in the winter but a good car

[@kwaza8574]

The exact same color and year Beetle was my family car in the early’80s. There’s a lot more quirks that if described, should make this video 20mins longer.

[@UncleJoe3224]

That was my first car back in 1976.

[@Anderson-ky6ps]

Fusca dessa cor azul claro é lindo de mais 😍😍😍

[@MichaelValentine-iu2il]

There should be a check valve on the spare tire that prevents the spare from going below a certain pressure.

[@theadvocate4698]

I just wanna say, i enjoy your work so much! Very cool channel, keep it up! :)

[@thomberg8091]

Love the filming and the editing! My only complaint was that I expected to get some explanations on the difference between the super beetle and the beetle. What makes it ''bigger''?

[@AlexandrosT1]

This vehicle should run on Soylent

[@dave11686]

Sweet!

[@justinegorski2703]

I had one each of a 70 beetle and a 71 super beetle back in the 80s.

[@michaelhoskins832]

If you're of legal drinking age, take a drink every time Zack says the word "super" in this review. You'll get wasted quickly.

[@McElroysMotors]

Compare that to Doug DeMuro's "quirks and features", you will be getting alcohol poisoning.

[@J3Wbacca]

Cool car

[@HostileMAV]

I want a beetle until I check the prices and the cheapest one in my area is $16k... I wouldn't pay more than $2k for one lol

[@КГБКолДжорджКостанца]

She's a beaut

[@drmnishikawa]

There is no better sounding engine than a air-cooled Volkswagen.

[@NateMAN23]

Ah yes "the least offensive car ever made"... created by the nazis 😂

[@bwofficial1776]

I find it hilarious that the Hitlermobile became so popular with hippies.

[@BobAbc0815]

Actualy a RipOff of a Tatra, the 97 i think.

[@markhealey9409]

😍😍 I never knew there was a larger old skool Beetle,called the Super Beetle! 😳😳 Who knew?!🤔🤔 Obviously I knew that the New New Beetle was larger than the new one,though! 😂😂

[@mbd501]

I looked it up, and they really weren’t much bigger than the regular Beetle. They had a 0.8 in. longer wheelbase and 3.1 in. greater length overall, but all the extra space was in the front trunk.

[@briang70]

My first car was a '71 Super Beetle. I could be wrong, but didn't the SB have heater ducts that extended to about the middle of the driver and front passenger foot wells along the door sills?

[@bwofficial1776]

It's telling how good Porsche's design was that it was produced for 75 years with little changes. The Trabant came 20 years later but the Beetle is just a better car. Not that the Beetle is great but the Beetle is probably easier to live with if you have the choice.

[@ottolinden371]

In the modern day for me and my brother the trabi and my beetle compare quite favorably, the biggest advantage for my beetle is the speed. The trabi can do 60+ mph in most situations, but you need to let off periodically to let it cool down, which can be inconvenient for other drivers. The beetle can 65/70mph no problem.

[@mbd501]

And you can see the resemblance with early Porsches, which were also rear-engined, rear wheel drive, and had air-cooled engines.

[@sk8klown88]

Yeaaaaah baby

[@BobAbc0815]

Behold, The Überkäfer!

[@muhammadnadzirmarsono3840]

03:30 BIG FRIGGIN BOTTLE FAIL!!!

[@giovannibonifati]

"least offensive car"....bros legit a war criminal

[@ISR403]

The word Germany in the tittle is spelt wrong btw

[@UraniumBullets]

Genuine question, why is it a "trunk" on something like a beetle but a "frunk" on a modern EV?

[@ShootingCars]

shut your beautiful mouth, you

[@mbd501]

I think the word “frunk” was coined relatively recently. In 1971, it would've just been called a trunk or a front trunk.

[@robertharris7027]

"Bigger Beetle From West Germany" There were no Beetles from East Germany, so...

[@user-ss3ud7pp7f]

Awesome.

[@smittykins]

I’ve always loved the classic Beetle, but I can’t drive stick(I’m disabled and need auto).

[@bwofficial1776]

Volkswagen made Beetles with a semi-automatic transmission. Putting your hand on the gearshift would disengage the clutch and there was a torque converter so you could leave it in gear at a stop.

[@smittykins]

@@bwofficial1776 Yep, but they’re pretty rare(they were never that popular, plus many of them have been converted to 4-speed), plus finding parts for them nowadays is…interesting.

[@junkboxxxxxx]

Es war kein guter Ort, um Liebe zu begehen. Aber es konnte Sie an einen besseren Ort führen.

[@nathanjoseph4284]

West Germnay?

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

Yea back when the Beetle and Trabant were on the road Germany was split up and basically two different countries. Check a pre 1989 map and google it.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@EnthusiastCarHangar Germany was, but where is Germnay?

[@BobAbc0815]

That was the third Germany for Naysayers.

[@helmulu4016]

West Germany called itself the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany), the German Democratic Republic was referred to as Mitteldeutschland (Middle Germany), the lands stolen by the USSR and communist Poland were referred to as East Germany. These concepts must have been to complicated for most non-Germans so we ended up with West vs. East in the English language. Parts of the Eastern territories are still occupied by Putin's Russia for strategic reasons. BTW I took my 69 US spec VW Kafer to from Wolfsburg toTexas and traded it in for a 71 Camaro RS in March 71. Thanks for this Super Beetle vid.

[@eS._Te]

Germany is still occupied by the USA and NATO, you forgot to mention it

[@davidp2888]

The sixth Beetle? 😂

[@4yules]

funny