VINTAGE VW VOLKSWAGEN TV COMMERCIALS VW BUG BEETLE MICROBUS KARMANN GIA XD13824

[@GereDJ2]

My first Beetle was a 1965. I bought my 2nd VW, a 1967 Bug, from a used car lot in Long Beach, CA in 1969 and paid $895.00, on which I made payments. They had cheaper cars, but I wanted the Bug, especially a 12v one with a sunroof. I still have the Bug to this day and drive it occasionally.

[@coffeeisgood102]

These have to be the most innovative commercials ever aired. I love the modesty

[@johnjones393]

These early VW spots are not only some of the best car commercials ever, but some of the best commercials period. They were masters of self-deprecating humor and it worked. VW sold tens of millions of these cars. It used to be the best selling car of all time.

[@ericknoblauch9195]

It was the longest in production car of all time. Started in 1938, and discontinued in 2003. It used the same body style no restyling. Other carmakers claim they have the best selling car of all time on a nameplate. However the other carmakers are full of shit because their model was restyled, and a all new version came out. Volkswagen had the same platform for all those years. If they brought the original beetle back they would probably sell a few more million. Only if the governments would allow it for safety reasons. I know a few people who have been driving the same beetle for over 40 years, and they have gone over 1,000,000 miles on that car still going.

[@rsc9520]

These VW ads are BRILLIANT !!!

[@minustaco42zero24]

Rip got a beautiful 21 window bus which was cheap back then but now is worth a lot. If I was handed a 21 window bus man I'd be so happy but I just have to settle with my 13 window bus which was left in a field to rot but now looks like it just came off the assembly line. My dad and I have put our blood sweat and tears into it and I can't wait to put all the camper gear in it so my wife and I can go camp around the US and eventually the world. Thanks dad for helping me fix up my dream car.

[@robertdawson8522]

Remember in '65 we went to pick up a brand new bug at the Wolfsburg factory direct

[@donmoore7785]

In 1978, I got off a highway in North Carolina in my '68 Beetle, in a heavy snowstorm. There was nothing open, and as I made my way back to the highway, at an intersection I pushed the door open and sweeped snow out of the way - it was that deep. The car made it back onto the highway. I was amazed.

[@trevorjameson3213]

They were an excellent design. Engine weight right over the drive wheels in the rear, and skinny tires. Perfect for snow.

[@earthlowsstuff]

my grandpa has this car it stills work idk how

[@sheldonaubut]

My only VW was a 1961 bug bought well used in 1972. The floors were so rusty you could see the ground, but it was perfect for my 40 mile round trip to work every day, and during the 1973 oil embargo it was wonderful. Finally one day I was driving home up my street and the car came to a sudden stop in the road. Got out and looked and the whole floor had rusted through and the car had split right at the back of the doors and sagged in the middle. It stopped because the emergency brake lines stretched when the car lengthened by 4 inches. My boss at the time also had a '61 and his engine was seized so we swapped my engine to his car and he drove his for several more years.

[@williamstuart368]

The Karmann Gia commercial...crashing into the plastic and getting stuck...was the BEST!

[@hebneh]

It’s actually supposed to be driving through PAPER, but it’s too weak to even accomplish that!

[@916commons]

Found myself chuckling all the way…😁

[@mtnman6557]

Back in the early 70's, one snowy day on our way to the slopes, traffic was backing up as few cars could make it up the hill. Even a jeep struggled a little {& no, he wasn't driving poorly} to get up the hill. When the State trooper let the next car, my VW bug try, well, up the hill we went w/ no trouble at all. It really was a neat car & very easy to work on, even doing the reg valve adjustments was no big deal.

[@notroll1279]

The commercials were quite special because in those days, humor was a rare thing in advertising. Advertising genius David Ogilvy admired DDB for the VW commercials but avoided humor in his own agency's commercials because at that time, he believed "people don't buy from clowns". Given the fact that, by 1960s American Standards, the Beetle was a bit of a clown car itself, humor was a pretty smart choice... which Ogilvy later recognized.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Can't deny it's the most loved car in the world. Darn near brings tears to my eyes I've been part of the family since 73 when I was brought home in one after being born.

[@MoneySavingVideos]

I'm 74, I had a 1961 VW Bus in 1969. I put a bed in the back and a great sound system in the front.

[@normankeel5898]

Had a 1974 beetle in high school. The heater and defroster we’re almost nonexistent but it was simple to work on, fun to drive, and simple to work on. Gas mileage was great back in the day. They plowed through the snow with very little effort.

[@markgriffith2531]

I just took my 1965 1200 VW out for its first drive of the season today. What a treat! All 40 Hp pulling strongly. It gets plenty of waves even in this Lockdown situation.

[@stevefarris9433]

I owned a 57 bug. Had a wife and four children. The space behind the rear seat was where the babies bed was located. We made trips from California to Texas every year. What a hoot. Also owned a New 63 VW bus with the camper top, still dragging those four kids around. Life was good then.

[@GereDJ2]

I knew a number of people who used behind the rear seat as a "baby bed". Probably the safest place in the car when you think about it.

[@jiminycricket9281]

Dad had a 59, I have a 2012, best car commercials ever, snowplow the best.

[@CARNELIANTURQUOISE]

I've had a '99, '07, '08 and now a 2013. My '08 was totaled by someone running a stop sign....I never had one of the old ones but I love my Beetle!

[@orbitaljellyfish808]

2:30 four of my five Volkswagens over the years were purchased for $1500 1993 thru 2006 Pretty incredible really

[@psymons9133]

Best commercials EVER

[@rickey5353]

I remember all of these brilliant commercials, even the Benson and Hedges, bent cigarette tip ones, and "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" ones .

[@matturban9103]

I had 66 bug it was almost 20 years old when I got it. It got a tune up an ran great. I would take it over any thing made today.

[@quantumleap359]

Yep, I had one too, at age 22. First year for the 1300 cc engine. Had a big 1300 on the engine hatch. Little black beetle, I miss it.....

[@bradklaatu]

Years ago I drove a used '68 Bug into the ground and still got some serious trade in value. Loved that car.

[@Homoclite]

These are fantastic!!!

[@StormTeeVee]

I like how they where all honest in their marketing, don't see that much these days

[@undefinedname1398]

RIPS' Volkswagen station wagon in 2020 is now worth $70k. Home run.

[@rickintexas1584]

I was born in 1963. My grandfather had a Beetle. But I don’t remember any VW commercials at all. I guess I didn’t watch enough tv growing up. But this video was an absolute blast to watch.

[@elgar6743]

The self deprecation days of VW marketing resounded with pretty much every strata of society. May not be exactly what one 'wants' but is most definitely what one 'needs'. Outstanding.

[@johndegennaro2822]

I learned to drive in a 1964 bug when I was 14. I wore down a big oval in the back fields for my go kart! I loved going thru those gears.

[@BIGLOVE4TRUTH]

I do remember most of these commercials . Very clever.

[@jayo6725]

Love the Kaman Ghia commercial. Now that was honest! I wish I had one .

[@chrisb2844]

I have always loved the bus, and beetle!

[@mattg7952]

My first car was a 71 bug and my second car was a 68 bug that was an auto stick. I've won a few VW knowledge contests thanks to that car. I lost count of all my bugs but also had 3 buses a fast back and a notch. Never bought a ghia because my head touched the headliner in 2 that I looked at. I also owned a cabrio, gti, golf gt and a corrado g60 over on the water cooled side.

[@jeffking291]

Love it. I’ve had 3 bugs, and a delivery van. 📻🙂

[@cyclenut]

In 79 I turned 16. My first car was a 63 beetle with sunroof. It was siting in a field. I asked if I could have it, they got the tile. FREE. I towed it home rebuilt the motor. I loved that car.. It got stolen when I was 17... Sad. My next car was 65 with sunroof. It to sat in field and was free. When I was 18 I got a 70 fastback... The old VW were very good cars, easy to repair. To bad those days are gone..

[@coloradostrong]

Man, my first car I stole was a Beetle, back in the late 70's. Had a glass roof we broke out to throw the beer bottles out. I went on to steal 4 more. Sorry dude. I'll look you up when I get out next month. Show you where that Beetle still sits to this day.

[@canaldogibão]

In brazil the beetle is called : fusca. Mini bus : kombi. Here, fusca or beetle was the car more saled and famous of our automobilistic history. It was very simple of mecanic and no expansive. Still there are many kombis at street. Karmanghia was produced only in the year 1972 and 1973. Very rare in Brazil.

[@tazmod7272]

I remember that first commercial. I had a 1965 Karmann Ghia.

[@bkucinschi]

The first commercial with a VW bug driving on snow brings back memories of my driving on slippery roads with my 1971 Squareback. Man, was that a mess... unstable as hell, and the heating was not so great either. But such a fun to drive otherwise. I still miss that rusty old crate. 1600cc with Bosch D-Jetronic port fuel injection, 4 speed manual transmision.

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

My Dad's type 3 was probably the best car we ever owned

[@HobbitHomes263]

We had a 63 Bug. It really did go well in the snow!

[@FIAT500Owner]

FIAT should hire this ad agency. One of the best, most sensible ad I've ever seen. Good Job!!

[@johnweiland9389]

Fiat makes terrible cars. Hard to sell manure.

[@jpsned]

Doyle Dane Bernbach was the ad agency.

[@EricLehner]

Brilliant

[@georgecurtis6463]

When my parents returned to the states the first thing my dad did was buy a new westfalia camper. A year or so later, mom got a convertable bug. We had a lot of fun camping in that camper. Later on, many years later, he bought another camper after again returning from overseas.

[@isaachaynes1832]

the self-derogatory humor is pretty hilarious

[@budgoforth100]

Great collection of entertaining advertisements! Thank you for sharing them.

[@freedomfirst5420]

My mom had Super Beetle, it was fun in the snow, and lasted for many years!

[@jimmyb1559]

Great memories. Loved it when Volkswagen made fun of itself. I think I remember the windshield washer fluid was powered by the air from the spare tire?? Anyone else remember that?

[@dwightl5863]

You are correct. And so it didn't use up all the air in the spare in the event of a flat tire, a check valve was in line to use only so much tire pressure. Also with no gas gauge there was petcock inside the car you could turn to a reserve position. Seems you could go another 20 miles on reserve.

[@jimmyb1559]

Dwight L Thank you for the info. I was hoping someone out there knew. I always wondered about the spare being empty if it was ever needed! I never new that about the fuel reserve. Thanks again.

[@acmeopinionfactory8018]

@@jimmyb1559 They didn't have a fuel gauge, kinda like most motorcycles, when the engine started coughing, you switched to reserve, then started looking for a gas station.

[@jimmyb1559]

acmeopinion factory Ahh the good old days! Thanks for the info.

[@ianmuir3640]

Jimmy B My dads VW had the reserve tank one gallon enough to get you to the next petrol station

[@tombarnes7196]

DoyleDaneBernbach magic!

[@skywalker2852]

Oh the memories of my Mom's 1970 Bug. She would let me shift the auto-stick and operate the wipers while she drove (I may have been the 1st rain-sense wiper, lol). VW had some great commercials!

[@almilani4300]

We had a 62 Bug. Really great car. Used to fill it up for 5 bucks.

[@GeorgesMiniatureCars]

I've loved cars from my earliest memory! In 1968 my Dad bought a brand new VW Beetle. Beige with a black interior. As a kid I noticed the quality of build compared to North American cars at that time. The 67 model is my favorite. I remembered a lot of these ads and they are a joy to see again! ✌

[@dacorrupted1353]

The grandfather of all volkswagen cars

[@fredhinck8847]

Remember them well, Dad worked in a VW dealer starting in 1956. My first of many was a 58 deluxe.

[@303nitzubishi4]

The '67 Beetle is worth wayyyy more than he was asking for it. And that 21 window Transporter is now worth more than my house and all my vehicles combined

[@GTAGGARTIST]

Always liked the "What does the snow plow driver drive".

[@downunderrob]

That first one must be the Most Famous of All!🤣

[@robertgross578]

VW always had the most creative auto commercials.

[@Desertfox92308]

I have the last one shown, a ' 72 Super Beetle with manual transmission! Great commercials 😀🔥👍

[@thef8ofman984]

67’ sunroof Beetle, from the Summer of Love in SF...

[@craigjorgensen4637]

They did great in the snow UNLESS the snow was deep enough to get high centered!

[@HobbitHomes263]

We also got a 68 VW wagon. the engine blew up with 57 miles on it. Dad took it back, got his money back, bought a Frod COuntry Squire Wagon. That thing ran like a monster and last 16 years

[@garybell523]

I remember several of these.

[@eoj2495]

I remember the ad where a beetle was driven into a pool, where it floated. “It will definitely float, but won’t float indefinitely”

[@mikecorrado4971]

Always thought VW had the best commercials!

[@edgmp]

I was never particularly enamored with the VWs that I encountered in my life, but I loved the adds.

[@bobaloo2012]

I remember most of these. Of course the best was the parody of the VW Beetle floating in a lake, wiith the tag line "If Ted Kennedy would have been driving a Beetle he'd be President today."

[@orangelion03]

National Lampoon ran it, I think =)

[@fk4515]

The irony is I heard she had a Beatle as her car

[@margretsdad]

yup@@orangelion03

[@UberLummox]

@@orangelion03 YES! They sure did. Was around '73-'74ish. My brother may still have that issue.

[@jimmyb1559]

Don Johnson Remember that for sure. Glad you reminded me. Wasn’t that ad in Mad magazine? Can’t remember for sure though.

[@alicecooper1238]

This is called honesty

[@ranchdude4345]

Great vids !!!

[@andrescrux]

What Rick didn't know was that was that wagon would be worth over 200k$😂...this vid made me feel like a kid again

[@weldorman8495]

I remember most of these ads. I guess they worked....my first NEW car was a 1965 Beetle.

[@tomwest2413]

May have missed the comment but the best ever was "Gee uncle Max, it sure pays to own a Volkswagen.

[@jorgeyataco7729]

Keeping up with the Krampus. XD

[@pablopicaro7649]

Porsche admitted "Well, sometimes I looked over his [Hans Ledwinka] shoulder and sometimes he looked over mine" while designing the Volkswagen Type 1.

[@marchellochiovelli7259]

When downright honesty sold well.

[@TheRamGuy]

Those commercials were great

[@cymru507]

Mclean Stevenson (Col. Henry Blake of M*A*S*H*) is the spokesman for the Packard at 1:33.

[@Jay-vr9ir]

Also Wink Martindale .

[@stevevernon1978]

Would you buy a car from this man? YES I WOULD!

[@skydiverclassc2031]

2:40 Look at the grill on that beast. That's worth $72 all by itself. 3:00 A station wagon? That's the VW Bus! In July 1969, Volkswagen ran a print advertisement that I remember. It was simply a picture of the Lunar Excursion Module with the caption "It's ugly but it gets you there."

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

The type 2 micro bus was marketed as a "Station wagon" in North America, because the company mistakenly thought that the name "Microbus" wouldn't have any appeal, outside of Europe. Today, NA collectors tend to call them Microbuses. PS, when VW started building a TRUE wagon, they named it the type 3 Squareback, to avoid confusion with the Type 2.

[@quantumleap359]

Used to see Beetles everywhere, now they're a rarity.

[@victorkramer2596]

still do in some places in brazil

[@chuckcastor1325]

I learned to drive in a 1960 Bug, stick shift of course, when I was 10 years old.

[@bradwooldidge6979]

I’ve had three bugs. Great in snow, but no heat!

[@frozenbits48]

for a few years the VW Beetle was the best selling car in Alaska!! you ordered the auxiliary gas heater that would melt the wife's nylons!! and with good snow tires, there was no stopping them. no better car ever made than the beetle.

[@toddvanwinkle7777]

They have heat...every one of them...if everything is adjusted correctly, and the heater channels are sound, it's fine...

[@0bob0cya]

Brad Wooldidge funny. I couldn’t shut the heat off in my ‘72 Super Beetle. Till I manually shut the heater boxes. Beautiful car. $18.000 at the dealership in 1975.

[@toddvanwinkle7777]

Bobby Webber Glad you liked it, Bobby! Wonderful little cars..I suspect your heater cables were broken, the metal tips where they connect at the heater box often rusted! The heat in my 56' is insane..it's like a hair dryer!

[@slicksnewonenow]

Of course they had "heat", of sorts... But the "heat" turned into the "Tubes of Death" once they started to rust through.... 😅

[@leroyproud294]

As long as ya rust proof your Beetle! Winter weather was hell on them.

[@donjones4719]

Yeah. Too bad the company that built them was in the tropics.

[@Michael_Lorenson]

Porsches were also notorious for rusting out. But winter weather was hell on EVERYTHING back then. Still is, today. Modern galvanized Bodies and improved metallurgy have helped, but salt still causes rust. The worst cars for rust, as a group, were probably Japanese. Japan has no domestic iron ore, along with other materials needed for steel production, so they have a long history of recycling it. They literally were building cars out of second-hand steel. The Germans were still poor after WW2, and were probably skimping quite a bit on steel quality. Maybe they were also using recycled material. Japan was certainly using thinner gauge material, as well. Not sure VW did that, but maybe.

[@mjoelnir58]

It's not the winter but the use of salt on streets.

[@P00katube]

1:11 Wink Martindale 1:32 McLean Stevenson

[@williamjones7163]

It is now July 2024. And these ads are still hilarious!!!

[@BaltimoreAndOhioRR]

This was really neat to watch!

[@jaimecody8253]

i guess im randomly asking but does any of you know a tool to log back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb lost my login password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.

[@watsonbrixton7027]

@Jaime Cody Instablaster :)

[@jaimecody8253]

@Watson Brixton Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@jaimecody8253]

@Watson Brixton It worked and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thanks so much you saved my account :D

[@watsonbrixton7027]

@Jaime Cody happy to help :D

[@knighthawk86855]

The announcer Wink Martindale, 1949 dosoto wow young, at least I think it was him, I remember him from jokers wild.

[@IAm1InTheIAm]

Lol, I own 7 vehicles, but my most valuable one is my oldest one, a '58 bus I found out in the woods. Go figure. ✌🤣✌

[@edwardbenkert2618]

I love my 1972 Beetle Bug it's the best thing on the face of this Earth I love it I love driving it it's awesome everybody beeps Hawks and waves

[@swrennie]

"Did you ever wonder how the man who drives the snowplow..." Brilliant. I liked the VW print ads comparing Beetles to the lunar lander: " It's ugly, but it gets you there.:

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

I NEVER thought they were ugly and today's younger folk just love their art deco styling

[@chriskelleher349]

Ad people knew how to convey a message back then.

My favorite is the 1949 car show commercial with all the soon to be defunct auto brands, i.e., Packard, Hudson, Studebaker, etc. The car with the holes in the side wasn't identified, but it was probably Buick or Pontiac, which used holes for ventilation. The number of holes indicated whether the car was a six or eight-cylinder. Three holes on each side of the car meant it was six-cylinder. Four holes on each side meant it was an eight-cylinder. I remember that commercial from the 1960s

[@hebneh]

The car with the holes in the side was a '49 Buick, which was the first year they had them. Notice it was the only car in this commercial which wasn't identified by name, like the others which were all defunct by then, as you said. There were actually two versions of this commercial; one had this shot of the Buick edited out, and the very end of the commercial was a little bit longer to make up for that elimination.

[@98triffid]

To be fair, longer and lower was absolutely a promise kept.

[@joeblow1942]

I had a 69 bug we used to drive on surf / camping trips in Baja. Let some air out of the tires and you could drive way down the sandy beaches.

[@Miata822]

My aunts new 411 was the best VW I've been in. Quick and smooth.

[@phyllo2694]

These commercials show exactly why we are in the financial mess we are in now. You people want too much!

[@stevenmc56]

I remember the VW commercial about the snowplow guy and my dad at the time said that the man that drives the snowplow in our town was driving a international scout lol .

[@MrTheHillfolk]

I believe they also used it later on for the water cooled models of the 70s, but used a mk1 golf (called rabbit in the states).

[@markwarminster]

Every one's enjoyable, especially the first commercial...

[@theymusthatetesla3186]

....some clever stuff in there!

[@shevetlevi2821]

The Reading of the Will was my favorite (wasn't in this video). Thanks for posting.

[@calbackk]

This is hilarious. I never heard of these ads here in Sweden at the time. But we had a similar advertising campaign for the Renault 4L.

[@youtoobe169]

This is super cool, thanks for posting it! By the way, a real sign of the times "All the enchanting places mothes go when everyone else is working" LOL

[@punchbuggy13]

These ads are dope. Buy a Beetle! wish i was around back then

[@slicksnewonenow]

Just this round of old VW commercials should tell how completely dicked-up EVERYTHING is, these days. Actors/Stars were more or less "normal" people back then... Even until the late 80s. A person could go to work as a stock clerk and buy a car, a home, and also send 2 or three kids to college. Not many people 'wanted' for too much up until the 90s. Even the folks making the damn commercials were ultra creative... These are actually ENTERTAINING.... Unlike the 22 second shit we're barraged by for 17 minutes of every half hour of looking at TV. AND... us oldsters have lamented these facts for years. It's sad that it's looking like things are only gonna get REALLY WORSE, especially NOW. Even scarier- I've asked youngsters in the neighborhood if they realize exactly what's going on now... The answer? "Yeah, we do... But most of us don't really care".