The Crazy VW Beetles That Conquered Antarctica

Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this video! Download unlimited stock media at one set price with Storyblocks: storyblocks.com/Calum
In the freezing landscapes of Antarctica, an unlikely car would makes its home. Throughout the 1960s, Australia used rear-wheel drive, air cooled Volkswagen Beetles for transport around Antarctica. But why beetles? How did they cope in such hostile environments and where perhaps are they now?
Twitter......................► / calumraasay
Instagram................► / calumraasay
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Website....................►calumgillies.com
Phil's amazing write-up of the Beetle Story: www.clubvw.org.au/vwreference...
Without Phil's work, none of this would be possible. So it's much appreciated it! I had talked extensively while I researched the video and it was Phil who gave me the idea to contact Sue.
Check out the Anare Club for some amazing history and interviews with veterans: Anareclub.org/
Sue's BP Rally Antarctica 1 Facebook Page: profile.php?...
The complete "Volkswagen 1 at Mawson Station" film: • Volkswagen Beetle at M...
00:00 - Intro
01:40 - Thanks Storyblocks!
02:50 - Australia in Antarctica
03:22 - An Unlikely Transport Solution
03:58 - Beetles Taking Over the World
04:48 - An Unlikely Partnership
05:38 - Preparing a Bug for Antarctica
08:34 - Antarctica 1 Arrives in... Antarctica!
10:05 - Antarctica 1 in Marketing
12:08 - Exceeding Expectations
13:23 - Issues & Damage
14:02 - Antarctica 2 Arrives!
15:19 - Antarctica 3 Arrives (or is it 2?!)
16:37 - Antarctica 1 on the BP Rally
17:43 - Antarctica 1 Disappears
18:24 - Antarctica 2 Rallys... and also Disappears
19:11 - Antarctica 3 Rallycrosses... and ALSO Disappears!
19:55 - Antarctica 1 Lives On (as a replica!)
22:02 - Meeting Sue
24:09 - A FORTH Antarctic Beetle?
25:25 - A Dramatic End for Antarctica 4-and-a-quarter
26:14 - A Kiwi Antarctic Beetle?
28:04 - Waffling On a Bit

[@CalumRaasay]

Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this video! Download unlimited stock media at one set price with Storyblocks: storyblocks.com/Calum

[@pyeitme508]

I was suprise ya didn't mention Toyota technicals in Antarctica.

[@MikinessAnalog]

StudyBlokes

[@carlpeters8690]

@Calum - You put much of what we see on cable TV to shame. I see shows like "What on Earth" and "Mysteries of the Abandoned" and they waste a lot of time with useless speculation and red herrings. Even newer series that I wanted to like, like Smithsonian's "Engineering Repurposed" and "How did they Build That?" spend a lot of time with their stable of engineers who end up just being talking heads reading from a script (It seems that they're mainly there for how they look on camera). I've seen a few of your videos and what a breath of fresh air they are compared to what we get from these bigger studios. THANK YOU! (I'm posting this twice hoping you'll see it.)

[@CalumRaasay]

@@pyeitme508 that could be a whole other video!

[@peterbockholm3176]

Hi Calum, this was really interesting. There was another vehicle there with a Beetle engine at the same time, it can be seen in many of the pictures, the swedish Aktiv Snow Trac. I live in Sweden and lived in a small village when I was a kid in the 70's and I remember passing one everyday on my way to school. Ice fishing is popular her and this man had taken it to the next level, he had made a hatch in the floor for fishing, and heating. I begged my father to buy one, but he just bought a boring snowmobile. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Trac

[@DSlyde]

I really miss the simplicity and repairability of the old Beetles. They probably wouldn't sell nowadays with their lack of creature comforts, but I fondly remember working on my Dad's with him. Might not have been the most reliable, but you could fix almost anything that did go wrong.

[@sakelaine2953]

Look at how side-by-side vehicles, UTVs, sell. There's demand for a simple, easy to maintain, vehicle.

[@paulhaynes8045]

The 'heaters' were terrible, though!

[@JamieSteam]

They absolutely would sell, if the price was right.

[@littlefishy6316]

I saw a cute powder blue South American made Beetle, had white wall tyres, lovely

[@kenon6968]

​@@JamieSteamthe tata nano. Would like to have a word

[@WW3_Historian]

I knew a guy who was stationed at an Arctic radar site in the 1960s. He said they had a beetle that was started at the beginning of winter and stayed running until spring. Only turned off for 10 minutes or so once a month to change the oil. It was supposed to be their emergency vehicle, but he said they used it mostly to drive to the nearest town to buy beer. I imagine that wasn't a short drive.

[@CalumRaasay]

Oh wow, perhaps on the DEW or Pinetree line or something? That sounds like a cool story!

[@WW3_Historian]

@@CalumRaasay I'm not sure where or exactly when. I worked with him in 2001, and he was in his 70s then. So it might have even been the late 50s.

[@joecool4656]

That’s wild. I wonder how much fuel it used to do that

[@WW3_Historian]

@joecool4656 probably 2-3 gallons a day just idling. I found something on the internet that a modern vehicle burns about 0.08 gallons per hour per liter Beetles of that era were +/- 1.5L engines. The carburetor would probably be less efficient than EFI, but there would be less drag without a water pump and other accessories. So my SWAG is about 0.1 gallons per hour.

[@joecool4656]

@@WW3_Historian Oh wow that’s not actually as bad as I was thinking. Thanks for doing the math

[@BatCaveOz]

Calum continues to choose delivering quality over quantity. And for that, we are most thankful. This one was a ripper!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!!

[@BatCaveOz]

@@CalumRaasayThe quality of your research is unparalleled on this platform.

[@MichaelSteeves]

Upvote, then watch. You know it will be excellent!

[@oldfatbastad6053]

quality over quantity all day :)

[@AsymmetricThrust]

This video should be mandatory for all marketing teams of automotive companies of today. “They don’t make cars like they used to…” more like they don’t market cars like they used to! Well done, once again.

[@Weromano]

I am actually very doubtful about any modern standard consumer cars working in antarctic conditions with little modification.

[@tavshedfjols]

@@Weromano maybe in some of the Argentine bases that are further north and don't get as cold. Still, they probably wouldn't have a need for a regular car.

[@maxmeister747]

These days its all about lifestyle of the car, not the quality, in terms of the marketing.

[@maxmeister747]

​@@Weromanoyes because they are all water-cooled, you would have to light a fire under them if you wanted them to start in the morning.

[@TheOtherBill]

@@maxmeister747 That's not uncommon with old diesel engine construction equipment, but I wouldn't try it with a modern gasoline vehicle that's mostly plastic under the hood.

[@ghomerhust]

i love that "Sue's" dad was able to see her finish the car before he passed. i cant even imagine all the memories locked away in his mind of those little cars

[@CalumRaasay]

A really sweet tribute!

[@alexandersillan8139]

Bill Bernbach was an absolute genius. His ads still stand up today

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

I grew up in the harsh winters of northern Ontario in Canada. I remember as a small child in the early 70's my parents drove a couple of Beetles. Whatever cold and snow winter dished out, those cars never failed to start and get us down the road. Of course, heat in those cars was chancy at best.

[@storytimewithunclekumaran5004]

what heat ??

[@P_RO_]

@@storytimewithunclekumaran5004 If all the shrouds were intact on the engine, and the hoses to the fan in good shape and fitted well you could get just enough heat to to prevent most of the windshield from re-freezing after you'd cleared it. The hoses lasted several years if untouched but common for the sheet-metal shrouds to get bent, damaged, or rust out in a few years where road salt was used in the winter.

[@storytimewithunclekumaran5004]

@@P_RO_ And if my memory serves correct they didnt actually produce much heat.. I think on V.W. maybe just the vans there was a option for a gas heater.. I live in Canada under similar conditions to the antarctic and I remember those cars being extra cold.

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

@@storytimewithunclekumaran5004 They did have heat... Or something that resembled heat... Theoretically... On paper.... Downhill with a tailwind.... In a pleasant daydream that it's not actually January and your teeth aren't chattering.... Yes, they had heaters, but they weren't very good or durable.

[@P_RO_]

@@storytimewithunclekumaran5004 Yep- darn little heat. The optional gas heater was available in Beetles in Europe I think as I've seen pictures. You could definitely get it in the Type 2 bus or pick-up here. Probably the biggest issue with selling VW's was the lack of heat...

[@TealCheetah]

The beetle with the penguins is so surreal

[@nerdyrcdriver]

I'm not often interested in history, but Calum manages to pull me into whatever random topic he himself has become fascinated by.

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha glad to hear that!

[@jerbear7952]

Then you are interested in history. It just has to be presented well.

[@alilonghair7792]

Random topics are the best!

[@larsbr4519]

Good story appreciate it. Just for the record, the isolated exhaust is actually the intake, The thin tube allow some exhaust up to the center where the carb sits, to heat up the intake air.

[@CalumRaasay]

Oops! Showing my lack of VW knowledge

[@jannikheidemann3805]

Why would you heat up the intake air? Wouldn't that make the engine less efficient? Some turbocharged cars even use intercoolers to cool the intake air after it has been compressed.

[@larsbr4519]

@@jannikheidemann3805 Well almost all cars with carburetors have some heating on the intake. Since intake "vacuum" lowers the pressure in the intake the air loses temperature, causing the the carb to get cold. The intake heat improves the evaporation of the air-fuel mix. and prevents water in the mix to freeze. Many cars also heat the air before the carburetor for the same reasons, VW got that in the early sixties.

[@genespell4340]

​@@jannikheidemann3805well, it was in Antarctica and the air is a tad bit chillier than normal chilly.

[@genespell4340]

​@@larsbr4519a lot of the air was drawn through an aluminum housing that was mounted on the exhaust manifold. A stiff yet flexible aluminum hose attached to the afore mentioned aluminum housing and connected to the air filter housing. Once the intake manifold was heated by the water/antifreeze mixture to 180 degrees a small temperature sensitive coiled spring would expand and a baffle would close stopping the heated air from the exhaust manifold. The process was repeated every time the engine was below a certain temperature and that was probably about 60 degrees or a little lower.

[@CalumRaasay]

Annoyingly, some of the footage from my interview with Sue got lost! This is why you never film an interview on 2 hours of sleep... However I hope you guys enjoyed the quick interview. Here's a brilliant short film where she goes into more detail on the project kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZzGYXtvqpWtn68

[@kyle_mk17]

YT started me halfway through this video like I was watching it before even though it came out 10 minutes ago, idk why that happened. Love your vids they're super good.

[@relwalretep]

What a legend Sue is for building the replica. Thanks for sharing your chat with her!

[@paulhaynes8045]

You should have stayed up instead - probably still light at that time of year up there!

[@edwardfletcher7790]

As an Aussie, I can confirm, this is typical "she'll be right mate, engineering !" LoL 😂 Because of our insane summer temperatures, 45⁰+C (113⁰F), air cooled VW's Beetles and Kombi vans, were very, very, popular here in the 60's and 70"s 👍😆 Love this video ! Cheers mate 🍺

[@ldnwholesale8552]

As a CFS volounteer I put too many burning VWs out. They get hot and do all sorts of weird things. And then catch fire. So many wobble heads [follows the engines] waffle crap about their inferior unsafe cars. May be just ok as a city commuter car,, though are actually ok on rough roads until something falls off,, and they catch fire. Not good in very hot conditions, not good in very cold conditions and very mediocre in between. Lovely swing axle suspension that cause wheel tuck and they roll over. I had a couple of VW repairers local,, long weekend there would be a queu of broken Zombies outside on Tues morning

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@ldnwholesale8552 How many decades has it been since VW sold a vehicle with a swing axle or air cooled magnesium engine block ??? You must be in your 90's !! lol

[@privacyvalued4134]

The 4 1/4 Beetle might actually be somewhat preserved. Things that are extremely cold tend to decay less quickly even though it is in corrosive salt water.

[@relwalretep]

Oh my, as a resident of lutrawita/ Trouwanna/ Tasmania, where the modern Australian Antarctic Division (aka Antdiv) is based, this is going to be a thrill. We're an island who feel very attached to Australian Antarctic research. Will definitely pass it on to my mates who either work there or are just Antdiv nutters. Thanks so much!!😍 Edit: Oh my, the Nella Dan. There's a sad and tragic tale 😢😢😢

[@timgooding2448]

Where is this in Tasmania?

[@CalumRaasay]

Oh wow! Well I hope you (and they ) enjoy it!

[@ray.shoesmith]

​@@timgooding2448Hobart

[@GURken]

Amazing that only just 6 days ago I visited an AvtoVAZ Museum in Tolyatti and saw there a one-of-a-kind Lada Niva that worked at Bellingshausen Station in the 90s. And here is your video about another normal car in Antarctica. True example of a Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.

[@CalumRaasay]

There’s another great video in and of itself!

[@ludwigsamereier8204]

I love your comment. But please explain to me: what is a Baader-Meinhof phenomenon? The German terrorist Andreas Baader happened to grow up in my neighborhood in Munich Germany. Unfortunately I never saw him freezing his butt in a Beetle. I hope he is driving a cold beetle from Antarctica to Eternity.

[@kettlebellcarnivore-vr5cw]

I had a Niva, and loved it! Wish I kept it, sometimes.

[@wornoutwrench8128]

Calum, another excellent presentation. I have had 4 Volkswagens in my life. One of my first driving lessons was in a 66 beetle. When I was 17 I bought a 68 beetle. That car took me on lots of adventures and taught me lots about mechanical things, it started a love of mechanics that saw me through a 47 year career as a mechanic. I traded it off on a brand new 1976 VW Rabbit and in 1979 I bought a first year available in Canada, Rabbit GTI. Unfortunately, west coast of Canada winters and the salt got the better of the 79. They were all great cars.

[@boyo2012]

Calum with another banger of a video! Amazing job, thanks for the unique outlook on the Beetle! Never knew this happened!!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! Really fun bit of history. Been wanting to talk about ti ever since my video on the Mini-trac all those years back!

[@JCWren]

Although I no longer have a Beetle, I do still have my printed copy of How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot by John Muir. The book was illustrated by Peter Aschwanden, who also illustrated The Septic System Owner's Manual, which is a great book on septic tanks, fields, the care of, etc.

[@billhudson7286]

Yes, I also still have my copy of the John Muir VW manual. The licence plate on the Kiwi Beetle was ASxxxx and my red '63 VW Beetle licence plate was CXxxxx so there is a possibility NZ Antarctic base had a VW Beetle on the continent before the Aussies. It would fit the pattern (Phar Lap, pavlova, Manuka honey, etc.) if the Aussies were enjoying the hospitality on a visit to the Kiwi Antarctic base, saw the ASxxxx VW Beetle and then (true to their convictions) arranged a freebie of their own for a subsequent season.

[@xmojojoeox]

Oh a new calum vid? Guess it will be a good day.

[@CalumRaasay]

haha well wait until you've seen it first, then you can judge!

[@skyrianlord2684]

​@@CalumRaasaySeen it. Love it. Happily waiting for the next video.

[@lostmooseswe2715]

Or evening, perfect for watching while i have my evening snack.

[@frenzalrhomb6919]

@@CalumRaasay Mate, if it can survive in the outback, Antarctica is going to bloody easy!! EDIT: - Or maybe the cheeky bugger just wanted a free VW, after all, they're bloody reliable cars!!

[@davidbee9563]

Fascinating story. I recall growing up we had several Beetles here in Canada along with GMC Suburbans. The Beetle would start in the winter but you had to sit in the freezing car with the clutch in until the gear oil warmed up. Clearing the windshield was done manually with a scraper while wearing outdoor gloves. Our last one had a gas heater which worked the second half of the drive in town. So when the heater started working you shut it off. My father was 6ft8 and moved the seat off the track to fit in it. One reason the Beetle and Fiat 500 worked in such cold conditions was because they were air cooled. With a water(antifreeze coolant) cooled engine the coolant might freeze and crack the engine block. But the VW was actually oil cooled which did not expand and contract as much as the water. Also they were easy to maintain. The engine is attached by a few bolts and can be removed in about 15 minutes.

[@pcno2832]

I wonder if there are places where it's cold enough that a water-cooled engine would be better off with oil in its radiator than antifreeze. Oil has a lower specific heat, but that might not be a problem if it's far enough below zero.

[@davidbee9563]

I am amazed that other things survived the extreme cold. Like rubber hoses, tires and such. Likely the stations were open during the summer months with limited activity before and after winter. (Picture a scene from March of the Penguins) Once I visited my uncle during the winter when it would dip down to -30 at night. I had a VW diesel with a block heater and battery blanket. But needed a push start in the morning with his car. After that it was fine... @@pcno2832

[@TalenGryphon]

On the bit about the few engine bolts: A buddy of mine in high school drove a sunshine yellow '72 Bug he'd gotten from his Mom. He pulled the whole engine out of the car during auto shop to do... something with the valves (I can't recall as it's been 2 decades). Our teacher was a jerk and told him he'd be flunked if that engine wasn't back in the car by the end of class (1hr periods) Sure enough it was. Probably didn't take him more than 15 min to install the sucker

[@Rust_in_Time]

Obviously it was too hot to drive an air-cooled Beetle in Australia, so taking it to Antarctica was the only logical solution...

[@metricstormtrooper]

Hi Calum, the asbestos clad manifold show was the inlet manifold with the heating tube which is attached to the exhaust manifolds. I loved this video.

[@wandamaddox7824]

Thank you - that annoyed me too.

[@douglasfur3808]

A well told story. Very much like a loyal dog tale in which the unappreciated little dog is the hero. I learned to drive in a 1300 beetle like your model. They differed with the older models, beyond the 1300 on the rear lid, they also had flat wheel covers instead of the deep parabolic shape, a wider reflector on the license plate lamp and a larger rear window. When you bought a new beetle you got a subscription to the owners club magazine which often had tips on off-roading in a VW; straddle deep ruts with wheels on the centerline ridge and the edge of the road.

[@FarmerFpv]

This was such a fascinating story. I would have never heard about it if it wasn't for your incredible research and storytelling. Calum, the history genre goat!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you!

[@chrisblake4198]

THANK YOU FROM the bottom of my heart!!!!! You're offhanded mention of the Mini with tank treads was more helpful to me than you can imagine. For years I've been trying to reconcile a childhood core memory image of a Mini with tank treads and always came up blank on the specific memory I was looking for. You just posted it. It was like dropping a 4-long Tetris piece into a perfect slot to vaporize 4 full rows. It just felt SO GOOD. Thank you thank you thank you! Edit- off to watch your Mini-Trac video now! Can't believe I'd missed it I thought I had seen your back catalog in full.

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha so glad to hear that! Hope you enjoy the mini track video!

[@powerbuilder0510]

as an aussie, i find this both riveting and as much as how i'm baffled by how obscure this is and that i've never once heard about it until now good work! :)

[@glennpettersson9002]

I had a 1963 Beetle in 1989, it cost me $1000 and i painted it yellow gold and deep indian red. When i took the front indicator off the lens had my birthday (DD/MM/YY) stamped inside it. Having driven it as my only transport for two years I take my hat off to anyone who could win a rally in a 63.

[@unclejoe7466]

Nice work on the 4 1/4 model paint job! Beautifully realistic pealing paint work. I drove a yellow '74 Super Beetle for 14 years. It would go just about anywhere, but was an under-powered maintenance nightmare.

[@taxus750]

Thank you Calum, I had no knowledge of ANARE sending VWs to Antarctica. The VW marketing campaign of the time was run by DDB (Doyle Dane Bernbach): it was possibly *the* best advertising campaign for any car ever, including short films and a huge print media presence, all featuring a distinctly tongue-in-cheek theme. Dad had 5 Beetles over many years and loved them.

[@Case16710]

Calum, your work is sooo good. Your topics are always interesting and original. The stories are well written and researched, and the videos look fantastic. Just wanted to say thank you!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! Really appreciated!

[@edward002gaming]

every country: i made a giant vehicle that is powered by a diesel engine and it has tank treads. australia: volkswagen beetle i choose you.

[@DjKorppi]

In Finland, veterinarians drove beetles because they had to get to remote farms during winter, even when the roads were not cleared of snow. Beetle was like a sled on snow.

[@WikiSnapper]

I have a 72 Beetle, I love them so much! They are the best vehicles ever made!

[@CalumRaasay]

I’d LOVE to at least try one! Never even been in one!

[@WikiSnapper]

@@CalumRaasay If you find yourself near Olympia Washington in the states, clue me in, and I'll show you around in the bug.

[@mattmichael6792]

The stock mid 60s Beetles when new and un-modified had very functional heating systems. The additional gas heaters (yes available on Beetles) were really only needed to warm up the cabin prior to driving or in slow town driving. I drove a restored one just last winter in Iowa during a blizzard at 10F and had to turn down the heat at highway speeds. The legendary reputation for poor heat, and non-existent defrost comes largely from heat control mismanagement, unsealed front deck lid (leading to an icy gale through the dash), rusted out heater channels, and failed door gaskets; all common on well worn examples. Beetles kept running for YEARS after many of their constituent parts had completely failed! They’re ability to get through snow is only exceeded by a modern all-wheel-drive Subaru.

[@Altema22]

Have to agree, and It's sad the people blame the design when it's really poor maintenance and neglect. I have a 1970 Karmann Ghia right now, and a few years ago we had a very dry winter that allowed me to keep driving it into January. That year I'd use it to pickup my daughter from work at 4am, and even at below zero Fahrenheit temperatures, I was comfortable.

[@kylesonsalla7620]

IDK, I've driven a lot of rot box pickups, with doors about to fall off and big enough holes in the floor to Flintstone it, that still had hot heat. Parked and in motion. If you have to drive highway speed to have good heat, that's a bad system.

[@Melody_Raventress]

Go Australia, keep on being crazy. It's what we all love about you. What a shame that no one took care of the originals. Maybe Ground Penetrating Radar would be able to see if the original A1 is still buried.

[@jeshie3736]

I think many often miss what makes the beetle shine. It's not that it's never going to breakdown, it's that when it does breakdown, you can fix it 5 minutes with a paperclip and your left shoe lace.

[@anonomas3530]

I like the checker board in the top right just befor the advert lol, old school 😊 these details are what make your videos great 🎉

[@NoSTs123]

Plainly difficult does that too!

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha glad you noticed it!

[@davidbryden7904]

I loved my '69 (Beetle) Bug. It would go anywhere, sometimes where 4×4s got stuck!😅 It was the most reliable, the easiest to work on... It just wasn't the safest; especially driving the freeways of LA! Cheers from California!🥂 ✌️🫶🌏☮️🕊

[@bensonwarungu343]

4*4 Vehicles got stuck and the bettle got anywhere sure

[@cheynsanders5506]

Honestly it makes sense that an air cooled, super light, easy to repair vehicle would conquer the arctic

[@briangodfrey7424]

VW's marketing must have worked. When I was stationed in Adak, Alaska I bought a 1966 VW from another sailor who was leaving the island. Along the timeline from 1966 to 1976 the engine had been upgraded to 1800cc, the rear fender openings had been enlarged to accommodate slightly larger and much wider traction tires on the rear (but the rear bumper remained), the front fender openings had also been enlarged but it had skinny front tires (much better in snow), the front end had been torched off so that the front tires stuck out in front of the body, and some big, goofy bugeye headlights had been bolted on top of what remained of the front fenders. Oh, and it was red, too. Nothing else was done and this car was amazing up there. It always started and it went anywhere and everywhere I asked it to go - on "road" and off. The roads weren't very good up there, but I did go out with the jeep club a couple of times and did not get stuck where some of them did.

[@cbrown182]

Fantastic story and so excellently researched, narrated and presented (as always). Many thanks Callum.

[@thomaskoutsoukis8976]

I have to say, I really love these videos that cover kind of obscure but insanely interesting topics and this channel is probably the best at doing that!

[@CalumRaasay]

Glad you enjoy it! Much appreciated 🙏

[@DJSinisterMetal]

My dad owned one of these from 1966-71 in Melbourne. He always used to tell my brother and I about the map of Antarctica it had on the interior roof. Guessing it was Antarctica 1, as he always calls it "the first car in Antarctica". He's recently started using KZbin on his telly, so I'll tell him to watch this video and get back to me with more info.

[@CalumRaasay]

Oh he should! Maybe he's the missing link to find more answers!

[@DJSinisterMetal]

@@CalumRaasay he replied with this, but also said he will write up some more about his memories of the vehicle and anything you might be interested in. "HZB624 - ANTARCTICA 1 BEETLE Thanks for sharing this fascinating story. Yep, that was definitely my car which I bought at a Mentone car yard in 1967. I traded it in for a crappy HT Holden in 1971 when my first child was born and we couldn't fit her pram in the Beetle. I've absolutely no idea what happened to it after that."

[@LightsCameraSnap]

Hey mate, would love to know more about the car. Am I able to email you?

[@davidthomas5848]

Great story. Thank you. And good that you included Mark’s (Although sadly Mark passed away nearly 10 years ago.) beetle and how he and my dad used it. To this day I wind my dad up about it. 😂

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Great Video as always Calum, I always look forward to your videos bc I learn something new. So thank you for all the time and effort you put into making this awesome content, you rock! 👍👍

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! Much appreciated!

[@BBoySnakeDogG]

They should have used a Saab 93 TTiD Linear

[@filmclipuk]

To be fair, the Porsche engines in the Sno-Tracs were old 4-cyl 90hp (max) ones out of a 356; sooohhh similar to a Beetle power plant 🤔 9:34

[@Bally92PhaseIV]

Absolutely brilliant. I've been waiting for a really good documentary on these bugs. I thought I had done some thorough researching on the subject myself, but man the footage and details you've found are incredible

[@Veryfastslowcar66]

Amazing video, so well illustrated and presented. It just so happens I live in Seymour and right next to potentially one of the towns oldest local residents…. Next time I bump into him I will definitely bring this up and see if he knows anything. Thanks for the incredible content!

[@CalumRaasay]

Amazing! Let me know if he remembers anything haha

[@owensleicher9784]

Amazing video as always! If you really want to fall down an Arctic rabbit hole the roligon trucks have to be the strangest arctic vehicles still in use, I’d recommend checking them out

[@IansModRite]

These are cool but no Antarctic Exploration vehicle will ever be as cool as the Mini-Trac!

[@josephfranzen9196]

What an absolutely amazing story! I love car history and I’ve honestly never heard of this. Phenomenal job on this man and your quality level is outstanding!

[@visekual6248]

You didn't mention the main reason why the Beetle was the ideal car, it was air-cooled, meaning there was no water to freeze.

[@CalumRaasay]

That’s true!

[@paulhaynes8045]

That was an odd omission, all things considered - I guess he just has faith in his viewers' powers of deduction! Another point in favour of the Beetle in these conditions would have been the engine being at the back - not only more sheltered, but also putting the weight of the engine over the powered wheels.

[@mikkoolavijarvinen3653]

But isn't that just about how much antifreeze you add to the mixture?

[@visekual6248]

@@mikkoolavijarvinen3653 I don't live in a very cold country, but the antifreezes I've seen are effective down to around -30 ⁰C, perhaps in colder countries there are products that can withstand lower temperatures, but anyway, we're talking about the 60s, I don't know what kind of technology they had at the time.

[@paulhaynes8045]

@@mikkoolavijarvinen3653 antifreeze normally goes in water! Or do you mean something that's added to petrol to stop it freezing? Petrol freezes at about -60 - does it get that cold where that base is in Antarctica?

[@Islandwaterjet]

15:51 - That is a pair of Atlas Copco Cobra 47LA gasoline powered rock drills. I have one. If you want another video idea these rock drills would be a good bet.

[@SmithyScotland]

First time I've ever gone back and watched the sponsorship section twice. Wow. Bet a Beatle couldn't cope with the Scottish Highland roads though

[@CalumRaasay]

I’d be willing to put the highland roads to the test!

[@kilo-1337]

this channel finds the cololest stuff. can't believe there's so much footage and photos of those times.

[@PetesGuide]

Been dying for this since you first mentioned them in another Antarctic video!

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha wow I know it’s been LONG overdue!

[@PetesGuide]

@@CalumRaasay I don’t care how long it takes so long as the content is awesome. Keep up the good work, and ship no wine before its time.

[@snubbedpeer]

It's unfortunate that VW Australia sold off the Antarctic beetles one after another and didn't think to keep at least one for posterity. Any one of them would be a nice specimen in a VW museum.

[@jamieknight326]

I love your style, tone and narrative structure. These videos are some of the very best on the web. Thanks for making these :)

[@tomkalleske3475]

What a fantastic video, thanks Calum! I was previously unaware of this unique piece of Australian history, and you were the perfect person to tell the story. Can't wait for the next video. Cheers

[@Stealth86651]

Crazy, considering how unreliable some of the later models turned out to be.

[@CalumRaasay]

Even after all my years being interested in this, I've still never sat in a beetle, either the classic or modern versions!

[@phlodel]

@@CalumRaasay You haven't missed much.

[@ghomerhust]

@@phlodel as a car, it's "an" car. it goes, sorta. it stops, kinda. but, as an icon, the beetle is one of the most influential cars ever made. james may did a "cars of the people" show, and he highlighted the most iconic and "meaningful" cars, the beetle being one of them. the original morris mini cooper was another. cars that meant more than what they actually were. im a vw enthusiast, but my interests are primarily in the water-cooled realm, golfs, jettas, etc. but it's still fun seeing a properly built little beetle scooting around.

[@ghomerhust]

the "new" beetle, and the current iteration, are based on a golf/jetta platform. the first new beetle was using the setups out of the mk4 golf and jetta era, and they were incredibly horrible to work on. if you had to replace the computer, you had to first pull the windshield. terrible packaging. the newest generation is based off of the mk5/6/7 setups, and are much more reliable and economical, and MUCH better looking.

[@maxmeister747]

The "later models" that you talk about are just golfs with different body panels. Water cooled, front engine and nothing to do with the original beetle.

[@kkfoto]

Great video! It's the first time I heard about the Antarctic Beetles. I've owned a few of them, the last one a 1966 that I restored and sold a couple of years ago. They're so simple, reliable, and easy to maintain, and many of them remain in use in the Brazilian hinterland.

[@Thametownguy]

Truly excellent video. Far more in-depth and interesting than anything that would be made for television. Thank you!

[@HATECELL]

I grew up hearing stories about what a terrible winter car those beatles supposedly were (mostly about the heater being weak and the air being oily) , and the Aussies took it to Antarctica, successfully. I guess they weren't THAT bad after all

[@CalumRaasay]

Yeah I imagine it was a bit cold in there. You know who else was a massive Beetle fan though? RG LeRourneau, maker of the massive overland trains! He swore by them as being super reliable, go-anywhere little machines. Ironic.

[@bloqk16]

The other aspect about the Beetle's heater, which is what I experienced firsthand: Carbon monoxide poisoning. The car uses a heat exchanger with the exhaust system to pipe-in warm air into the vehicle. If there's a leak with the heat-exchanger that is suppose to funnel fresh-air, that piped-in warm air would contain carbon monoxide.

[@Summers-lad]

Many small cars of the 1950s and even perhaps into the early 60s only had heaters as optional extras. The Beetle heater was a standard fitting - including separate outlets for rear seat passengers (luxury!) - and was efficient until pipework or channels which the air was blown through deteriorated with age or rust. You could get oil smells through the heater in early models but redesigned heat exchangers in the early 60s (I forget which year) cured that problem.

[@davee430]

That was fantastic. Excellent research and presentation. So interesting and relateable, thank you

[@acetomatocompany]

WOW !!! What a great story !! Thank you for sharing it and presenting it in a comprehensive manner. 👍❤️

[@stevebosun7410]

Thank you Calum, another (as always) very interesting and well researched video. Keep them coming. I've just finished watching it, as I watch your videos in little snippets to make them last longer.

[@CalumRaasay]

Awesome, thank you!

[@androidtexts6948]

My grandfather was in operation deep freeze us Navy in 60s and said there were a couple beetles in Antarctica

[@curvs4me]

Great compilation of history man! Thank you for putting it all together.

[@HowievYT]

Thanks so much for a great wee doco. And you're concise and crisp - lovely style and pace. Nice research. '71 Fiat 850 coupe driver here, this story right up my alley.

[@ianrobson9601]

Congratulations Calum, your research efforts and your joy in the telling of this tale has resulted in the best KZbin video that I`ve watched in a long , long time. Quite simply, SUPERB !

[@CalumRaasay]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Ian!

[@ADAMJWAITE]

I'm always excited to see another Calum video! Keep up the good work!

[@dragonaffliction23]

Came across your channel when it was recommended by Found and Explained. Haven't been able to stop watching since. Great content, definitely earned my sub.

[@sandraferreira1717]

Wow, I loved your video! You did great research on the Beetle full of data and curiosities about this fantastic car! It's wonderful to see how the Beetle runs smoothly in that frozen region with few adjustments. Your video is historic for all of us who have Beetles or for those who like Beetles! Here where I live, in the interior of São Paulo, we have a lot of bad and muddy roads and the Beetle runs well, without any problems. It has now gained collector car status and is very beloved among us. I really appreciate your wonderful work and the extensive research you did to collect so much data. I loved your work and I'm your fan and follower from now on. I wish you much success, health and joy in your life! Blessed be!🙌🙌🙌 Congratulations on the excellent work you do! Success to you!

[@kayejaye261]

Great vid. Thanks. Love your documentaries. Research is thorough and second to none. Watch anything u put out.

[@CalumRaasay]

I appreciate that!

[@heliosex7238]

another great video! thanks for taking the effort to make it!

[@NailsOeltjen]

What a great video. I loved the use of the models. Also it pushed all my nostalgia buttons remembering my mother's (dark) red beetle and frequently passing the antarctic division in Kingston (Tasmania) near where we lived.

[@BLNChrisCross]

I am flattend by the depth of the research to find clues like the advert of the seller in an old newspaper. Great work, keep that up.

[@HereticalKitsune]

Love these Antarctic stories, all of them~ Such extreme environments and we still find ways to conquer them with all sorts of vehicles.

[@stevejake4316]

Absolutely quality video as usual. Never have i left this channel disappointed. Thanks for your hard work and dedication to truly capturing stories. 👍 👌

[@ColinChick]

This brought back fond memories of making a video documentary on the construction of a large dam, where, during the wet, snowy winter months one of the few vehicles still able to navigate over the undulating mud and slush was the Foreman's Beetle!

[@rand26100]

At the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, there was a morning so cold that the reporters' and photographers' cars would not start--somewhere between zero and -30 degrees Farenheit--there were a number of cracked blocks and ruptured radiators. But my 1972 Beetle, despite being parked outdoors, started right up and took me to the venue!

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

Another fascinating story! Well done! 👍🏾

[@CalumRaasay]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@S50Sinner]

"Finally, I've escaped, I've made it to Antarctica, the only place where I'm safe, the one place on Earth where I can't be punch-buggy'd. Now I can finally be at peace." -McMahon's coworker, moments before the funniest prank in history.

[@CalumRaasay]

Hahaha wish I'd been clever enough to think of that line of the video!

[@uzetaab]

Another Fantastic video, thanks Calum!

[@CalumRaasay]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@punkdunc]

Great video. VW beetle was my first car. The 4 1/4 looks like it had the smaller oval rear window. Thanks for a great video.

[@eekee6034]

Ohhh! I'd forgotten that Beetles could float. It was a thing when I was a kid, barely old enough to begin understand, but I remember hearing of owners fitting a propeller to the crankshaft to make an amphibious vehicle. The other mod which obviously went with this was the cut-away rear, showing off the engine. For a while, I thought every Beetle with a cut-away rear had a propeller, but I was in no position to verify it as I hardly knew what a boat propeller looked like. ;) I loved the video; thanks Calum! :)

[@alastairwatson3201]

Just brilliant! I love the story, as well as your enthusiasm! Thanks.

[@jfu5222]

Your work is greatly appreciated, exactly my kind of historical and mechanical oddities in every video!

[@fyiaustralia9686]

Absolutely fantastic research and well explained history Calum.

[@CalumRaasay]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words

[@KermitPoznan89]

Awesome job with your videos Sir. Great topics, nicely presented and you can tell you’re passionate about them. What a combo 🥳 Thank you from Poznań, Poland 🇵🇱🫡

[@CalumRaasay]

Much appreciated!

[@OnTheRiver66]

What a wonderful piece of history! Well done!

[@davidpawson7393]

Seeing a new Calum video is like that time my photography teacher in high-school in 1987 gave me a 59, 71 and a 77 Transporter. I had already bought a red 64 Bug from the school narc who used his photography equipment to take some great pictures of me and some friends smoking at band hall entrance from across the football field. So weird how everything is tied together. Even Antarctica is part of my life as my dad's been there many times and let me build my firsr engine, a 1776cc VW engine, in my bedroom which I painted while he was in Antarctica playing golf I mean working. 🐞 Edit: I completely forgot about the trip to Australia and New Zealand for a month in 87-88 where a sales guy in Sydney gave me full access to an overgrown VW dealership full of 50s up NOS parts of which I brough tmany back but the best part was the people I met in the car culture. Trip of dreams.

[@Sareth94]

an excellent episode - I'm amazed these lil tin cans performed so well down there. My mother told how my grandfather hated his white beetle in the german winters - wouldn't start, doorts frozen shut, entire windscreen iced from the inside x) seems like the extra heavy duty batteries and oil did the trick.

[@Powertoyah32]

Great job on the research

[@bertoltb1358]

Great stuff Calum, always a treat to watch one of your videos.

[@CalumRaasay]

Much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bertoltb1358]

I’ve just noticed something, beetle 4 1/4 is red with a white door. The beetle in the background of the orange one reversing looks Blue. Are there more down there?

[@CalumRaasay]

No, I just didn't know the colour when I got the model! Only found the footage afterwards!

[@crispycris]

Once again, an amazing story about one of one vehicles. Thank you, Calum.

[@sunrayrosin7181]

I love my VW’s! I am rebuilding my 83 Vanagon diesel. And my daughter is inheriting her great grandmothers 67 beetle . I still enjoy wrenching on VW’s and there is still a strong culture of VW enthusiast that use their bugs as daily drivers to this very day.

[@MrGoesBoom]

You always pick the most interesting things to do vids on and I love it. Never heard of this before