vintage vw beetle commercial: a true story!

"This is a dramatisation of a true story". Do you believe it? Watch the story unfold!
In july 2012 I received an email from Eva-maria Diehl. Her father is one of the actors in this commercial. She tells:
I recently viewed a commercial of you posted on KZbin of a VW bug buried in the snow and a crew supervisor driving it away. It was based on a true story. Well that man was my father Thomas Richard Price and it was filmed up at mt Rainier National park where he worked until he retired. We never seen the commercial as it was not shown in our area plus living in the park TV was not really accessible.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Eva-Maria!
From the DVD 'Legend on wheels'. Wanna have this DVD packed with 2 hours of high quality digitally remastered old vw commercials? The DVD really brings you back to the '60s and '70s. Send an email to: [e-mail]

[@skizzle42]

the guy driving the car is my grandpa , this was filmed at mnt Rainier national park

[@enumrob]

Mt rainier state park is just up the road from where I live. Cool old commercial

[@user-pk1rf5vi6z]

Very cool😊

[@20alphabet]

That makes you sort of a celebrity, huh?

[@skizzle42]

My grandpa Dick Price is the one who needs the credit.

[@richwinds7179]

Ok, I hope comes up as a question on jeopardy when I am there. The driver of the snow plow in the Volkswagen commercial. Who was Dick Price?

[@closingtime]

In the early '80s, up here in wintery New Hampshire,I bought a '72 Vw Squareback-sight unseen. When I finally hitched a ride to collect it, I found that the barn roof had shed all its snow onto the Vw 2 weeks earlier.I dug for hours to be able to see the hood and windshield. Once I got the drivers door to open, I hopped in and turned the key, it started right up! As I drove out of the pile of snow the car seemed to jump up from under the snows weight. It made a terrific snow cave where it once sat. That car was the best $175 I have ever spent!

[@BarryWeaver-pv6cz]

I bought a VW Dasher wagon in the mid to late 80's for $250, and it was skipping badly. I limped it home, filed and set the ignition points, and she purred like a kitten. I beat the snot out of that car and it just kept on purring. It was super fun to drive too. That was my best buy....I sold it to a buddy for $500 after about a year of my abuse, and he got a lot more miles from it.

[@handymatt1970]

gosh how i love the sound of those gears going up the hill, old car or no car.

[@babyboomer9560]

Happened to me. Mid 1980s. Parked my 1966 vw bug in a parking lot. Big snow storm came in. Car sat there till spring….about 3 months. Car started right up and I drove it home.

[@GereDJ2]

The Beetle in this 1974 VW commercial is a 1967 Bug. You can tell because the 1967 Bug is the only year that 1) has that type rear bumper with the one-year-only tapered rear overrider bumper guards and 2) tiny Hella backup lights right next to them, you can see both right at 0:41 seconds, and as the car pulls away, 3) one-year-only deck lid, door handles and narrow side trim, etc. Also, the sound of the car pulling away at the end of the commercial is a classic exhaust note of a stock 1967 1500cc Bug. Really a nice, inadvertent piece of VW history here. My 67 Beetle was completely buried in a storm up at Big Bear in So Cal in 1973 and it fired right up after I cleared away the snow. I have a picture of it covered.

[@beetlejuice150]

Wow, you really remember the details well, don't you!? Do you miss your beetle, or do you still own a beetle ?

[@GereDJ2]

I have 3 of them: a sedan, a sunroof and convertible, one of each model Beetle made that year, all restored. I have had the sunroof Bug since 1969. You become sort of a 67 Bug expert whether you want to or not when you have had them that long. The sunroof was my main driver for almost 20 years. It was stolen, stripped and restored twice over the years. My wife named them so we could keep them straight in conversation: Hilda, Helmut and Heinrich. So, now, they are sort of like family members. Silly, I know, but always fun.

[@davidholubetz177]

Ha that's awesome that you know all that ! Love getting some inside info.

[@davidcampbell1899]

See, American was doing FALSE ADEVERTISING even back in 1974

[@paulcampbell6703]

A few notes from a current owner: There are no electronics which remain active when the car is off unless it's equipped with a clock or something was left on, so the battery in the car would hold a charge like a battery sitting on a shelf. All Type 1 engines had a thermostat and control vanes to manage engine temperature, and ours with a properly working system has heat coming out of the vents in the first mile. During the recent "Polar Vortex" in North America (Jan 8th, 2014), we had four cars at home at 12 degrees F below zero: a new Mercury which turned over slow but started fine, a 2004 Chrysler which would not start for almost 2 days, an older Mitsubishi which would not even turn over, and a 1970 VW which had been sitting for weeks and started with a roar on the first turn. If it was not for the salt on the roads here, I would have pushed the Mitsi out of the way and driven the VW...

[@beetlejuice150]

+Paul Campbell great story! and so true....

[@Altema22]

+InfiniteMushroom - Very true about the heat. Most people who say they had no heat is because they were messed with or the heater channels were rusted out, allowing the heat to escape before it gets to the front vents or defroster. The only shortcoming is the heater airflow when the engine is idling, since it's fed by the engine fan. Still, I can't complain about a heating system with only one moving part (aside from control levers and cables) that works better than the heat in our Mercury Villager or Lincoln LS.

[@gregh7457]

how many people died of carbon monoxide poisioning because the holes in the exhaust brought smoke into the heating ducts?

[@Altema22]

Greg H - The short section of pipe going through the heater box is heavy gauge metal encased in a thick heat sink to pass the heat to the air flow. The heater box is pressurized, and if the shell gets damaged, then the fresh air escapes, not exhaust. The rest of the system just carries the heat to the passengers, and when it rusts out, the heat just blows into the rockers instead of on the passengers. There are no joints, gaskets, or welds inside the heater box. As a former mechanic, I've come across more front engine cars bringing carbon monoxide to the occupants. The air intake for the ventilation system is at the base of the windshield, just above the engine, and there are several failure points that can fill the engine compartment with fumes that get sucked into the ventilation system. Even on cars with seals all the way around the hood. I've seen carbon monoxide problem with a Mercury Villager (crossover pipe leak), Chrysler PT Cruiser (flange leak), Saturn SL100 (flex joint), Buick Enclave (flex joint), Ford Econoline (exhaust escaping under the vehicle), and about a half dozen others. The Ford Econoline was being used for shuttle service, and the driver spent a week in intensive care from severe carbon monoxide poisoning. All vehicles pose risks, so it's best to keep it safe no matter what you drive. We had 7 or 8 VW's when I was growing up with no problems, but, the family VW's were brand new or slightly used (my dad bought them in pairs and my mom killed them in pairs). Now if you want me to say an old VW that's been messed with or neglected won't have fumes, then all bets are off!

[@angelperez7891]

That 1970 VW Bug is a prime example that only the fittest survive - like the cockaroach!

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

Those things do really well in the snow, as long as you have a good set of tires on them. Probably something to do with the rear engine/rear drive and the front/rear weight ratio.

[@richiercflyer]

Why would it not start from sitting?All that snow insulating it.......Take it from someone who lives up north and drives a 62 every day year round..........Snow and cold is no big deal for a bug.

[@bunnythekid]

My beetle (1978 1200LEB) always starts. Always.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Great as this is for the car, what happened to the driver? This cheerful little story gets very dark the moment you put two seconds of thought into it.

[@alcoleman5261]

I owned a 1973 VW. One of the best cars I've ever owned. It would cruise at 70 mph and get 38 mpg. Wish I had it today.

[@luedriver]

i actually had a dream just like this a while back... a beetle covered in snow and when i got in there was no steering wheel but it just started up and left just as easy....

[@allenwinkley9543]

I've lived in cities where the city will post snow removal ads on tv, radio and newspapers and if your cars not off the street... See you in the spring.

[@HamRam2]

i can vouch for this commercial.. mine has been sitting since sept and i just put some gas in this morning and away she went.. was shure i was going to need to charge the battery but she surprised me..

[@Wash9102]

They find a random car in the snow but better yet, they have the keys to it. LOL

[@guillermopalacios959]

Yo tengo uno 1975, soy unico dueño y tengo con el 48 años, un gran auto,saludos

[@sarvjitdeol9622]

ਮੈਂ 65 ਸਾਲ ਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਤਿੰਨ ਬੀਟਲ ਕਾਰਾਂ ਹਨ ਇੰਗਲੈਂਡ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਪੰਜਾਬ (India) ਵਿੱਚ ।

[@EdwardM1968]

​@@sarvjitdeol9622, подари одну, брат❤

[@Alex-gh3zo]

There was a blizzard in the early '70' where we lived. I remember my Dad's VW Bug was the only vehicle that could climb the hill on the street we lived on. Him and the neighbors piled into head to the grocery.

[@AJ-qn6gd]

I can believe it I owned a 71 1302S in the mid eighties and the Colder the weather the better it started, we had a couple of really harsh winter (for the U.K.) then and I had to pick up my work mates in the mornings as their cars wouldn’t start or were stuck in snowdrifts they couldn’t believe that this old car I bought for £75 would start and drive like a 4x4 in the snow ! It saved me more than it cost in lost earnings.

[@beetlejuice150]

@@AJ-qn6gd good story!

[@AJ-qn6gd]

@@beetlejuice150 I also had to tow quite a few workmates cars round the car park to get them to start, these were 3 or 4 year old cars being towed by my 15 year old beetle lol. One of my best motoring buys I ran it for a couple of years and sold it for £265 😃

[@arthurcrunden6107]

Back when VWs were really reliable

[@hatemf23]

I dont know what precise means but it impreesed me, makes me want a beetle :)

[@martinmanifold2241]

modern car batterys wont start after 5 days of inactivity

[@djstover2003]

what alot of people dont get is that these motors was not just air cooled, they were also oil cooled

[@mauricepowers8079]

My neighbor had a 72' Bug... We got buried in a Nor'easter in CT in 78'...he made it out of the trailer park BEFORE it was plowed. I had a 68' Ford Torino...I made it out AFTER him. 😂

[@aafkgirl91]

That's what I call a real beetle

[@ulflyng]

Well, kudos to the battery producer

[@g0fvt]

Computer Analysis I think refers to the connector they had fitted in the engine bay, my father bought a camper new in 1971 that had one. I think the connector was less reliable than the electrics it was used to check!

[@beetlejuice150]

@djstover2003 : I agree, in the end every car is oil cooled. When an engine is overheated, we mean that the temperature of the oil is too high.

[@mikeholland1031]

Air cooled

[@beetlejuice150]

@@mikeholland1031Very, very aircooled! ​

[@TheTenderhooligan]

My '72 started right up today, despite needing all of the bearings and piston rings replacing... Needless to say it sounded horrible :(

[@marksheiman1538]

You can't kill the beetle. I'm surprised that they didn't pop the clutch.

[@caganb]

They were shoveling the snow from the car with metal shovels. I think they scratched it.

[@borreebg14]

Made me cry:')

[@maraujo1984]

Maybe it's a true story...! Many people had a big surprice like this in a VW Beetle!!! :D

[@porscha901]

Volkswagen museum will be interested

[@20alphabet]

How did the "crew supervisor" just happen to have a key? 😆lol

[@rupe53]

Years ago, in rural areas it was common for people to leave their keys in the car because nobody was going to steal it.

[@ericenblom6014]

Since 1970, I have learned that being encased in snow and ice is 32°F above zero. Pretty balmy for a cold weather challenge.

[@darkprotector9562]

No doubting the excellence of the VW Beetle. But why would the supervisor have the ignition key to what would have been, for him, another random car found in the snow? Har to believe it's a true story.

[@markrobertmurphysr3662]

YESS....INKREDABLE KARR

[@mschiffel1]

I'm not surprised !

[@BerryTheBnnuy]

No, they weren't. The magnesium alluminum alloy engines were usually after market only. The engines the bugs shipped with had cylinders that were cast iron with cast aluminum for the pistons. Of course I may be speaking of a different era than you are.

[@BerryTheBnnuy]

It's actually not that big of a surprise... My 1975 Superbeetle does the same. We get snowed in and I'm the only one that can go anywhere. Air cooled engines don't have any problem starting up in cold weather. Bit of a problem in hot weather, but mine has a magnesium engine so it doesn't have a problem in hot weather either :)

[@dariusdarko8838]

Amazing 👍

[@77toyota]

i was expecting to see someone still alive in it .... ohh well

[@tremec6]

This commercial should be about the battery.

[@beetlejuice150]

tremec6 haha! You’re right!

[@handymatt1970]

die hard missed that one

[@Tryvaltor]

@beetlejuice150 True, at too high a temperature, oil becomes too thin and loses its lubricating qualities as well as its cooling properties.

[@mrsebring181]

I think the battery deserves more credit than the car does, assuming this is real of course.

[@paulorchard7960]

What about the previous driver frozen in the back?😅

[@skoolzone]

Never try to use your barbecue at Paradise on Mount Rainier. Flatlander from the Midwest couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t work so well because it was propane lol. Give me a break. I was 25. No oxygen doesn’t burn well. Couldn’t even cook hamburgers. Lol it was rainy and cloudy, so no go.

[@user-vv4hg7me1q]

My husband and I used to take the battery to bed with us on extremely cold nights.

[@errant3]

no, one car did that.... and for 74 they adv. the insurance....... the bug was on the market since ww2....

[@BigWolfBoy50]

It said dramatization, yes they found a Beetle.....Yes it started, they never said they did not jump it...

[@KassanderMinoer]

@6stringedkiller No, it was a 1966/1967 model VW 1300. :-)

[@BerryTheBnnuy]

No, the stock engines are cast iron.

[@aliassmithandjones9453]

back when folks could leave their keys in their cars without worry

[@jgrab1]

My question is how did the crew supervisor *get* the ignition key, and after he drives away with it isn't that now a stolen car?

[@onelegout]

@beetlejuice150 This is true, although less than 10% of the heat energy produced is released via the oil cooler, also it's worth clarifying that the oil cooler is to keep the oil cool, not the engine its self - the engine is air cooled, the oil is cooled via an oil cooler.

[@billsmith305]

What ?

[@onelegout]

​@@billsmith305well my comment was 13 years ago but... this was a response to somebody who said "in the end every car is oil cooled. When an engine is overheated, we mean that the temperature of the oil is too high." I was pointing out that in the case of the beetle, 90% of the cooling was done by fins on the engine, and only 10% of the heat was dissipated by oil passing through the oil heater, so to describe it as an oil cooled engine was misleading.

[@Inigo93]

I soooo wanted a corpsicle to be sitting in the driver's seat.

[@williamk5998]

Try that with a Tesla. Call a tow truck.

[@vagrantr]

but most engines don't have an oil cooler like a vw

[@sourhippo]

@beetlejuice150 its aircooled, the air is cooling the oil. like in a watercooled car the water is cooling the oil. the oil temperature is the variable we are controlling with a cooling system.

[@inchikiAHO]

What was that storm termed? "The worst ever". lol Whoa, mates. Really racked your heads on that one, eh! haha

[@esheep4]

he got a free car

[@gregh7457]

So this is where woody allen got the idea of the 200 year old vw in sleeper.

[@ChuddleBuggy]

Case=Magnesium Pistons=Aluminum Cylinders=Steel

[@masterpoop67]

i have the exact same car as in the comercial cept mine was yellow

[@loud5videos]

i got a 74 bug called goth

[@Mrseabug]

Check out this vw beetle in Australia....vw beetle vs huge seas... cool.

[@henryhill3778]

Too bad the Donner's didn't have one of these... They wouldn't have had to eat EACHOTHER !

[@exquisiteoaf]

Where the hell did the people who did this commercial dig up their audio from? A Beetle engine doesn't sound anything like that.

[@volvoturboman]

Well if that really is true, I want to know who made the battery cause i want one in my car.

[@svtcontour]

@frosty9595 Its aircooled. What antifreeze?

[@MarkMaule]

If that storm was in 1970. Why at the end it said it was a 1974 model?

[@dieschwarzehand7976]

Because this car is so fast that you go back in time....

[@wholeNwon]

That's not what the commercial said.

[@markthomasson5077]

True, yes, whole story…hmmm. I bet they had to change or charge the battery

[@Beethoven80]

Where did he have the key from? :-)

[@offroadfurry197]

i wish i could find a lambo like that :/

[@xoxoXoieoxox]

actualy to crorect both of u all engines are AIR cooled..what cools the water or the oil the water or oil in a cooling compasity its just a transmiter its fairying the heat from the engine to the radiator to the oil cooler soo u get were im going with this

[@nickrulez809765]

stranger things have happened its theoretically possible but unlikely

[@twiggyzappa]

Did he just steal that car?

[@73VWsuper]

thats not a 74 bug in the video

[@michaelmutphy9077]

More of a testament to the battery than the car.

[@TheAnnaShowUk]

Poor devil, didn't see the corpse in the passenger seat tho did he lol.

[@archerrobinhood]

with computer analysis?!! wats that?

[@ApoIogeticsMan]

With computer analysis... They had just discovered the megabyte..

[@BegoneJonah]

No, not really. I had a '74. The "computer analysis" was a jack on the firewall that you could plug a wire harness to (and a diagnostic device). I promise that no ones or zeros was coming off of that jack!

[@Altema22]

+Wes Clark - Correct; that diagnostic port was merely hard-wire taps that allowed you to take measurements from different points in the wiring. In the electrical diagrams, it shows the points being in places like the battery generator, ignition, lighting circuits, etc. Even without using the special computer at the dealer, you could use a multi-meter to test the electrics from that port, as long as you knew which pins to use ;)

[@LewistonLolly]

That's not a beetle. It's a bug. A beetle is a different body style entirely.

[@ndawg79]

My car does that now.....

[@svtcontour]

@frosty9595 Oh I see. That makes sense now.

[@xoxoXoieoxox]

@beetlejuice150 acctualy essenaly all engins are air cooled b\c the radiator weather it has oil or water in it is still beeing cooled by air (exsept marine motors) =3-

[@gbling88]

who owned the car?!?!?

[@xoxoXoieoxox]

@volkscom so how do u think it works??? O.o

[@caganb]

Crappy car got stuck in a little storm

[@volkscom]

@xoxoXoieoxox i dont think so timmy

[@wordreet]

@LewistonLolly Are you sure about that? :¬)

[@bernardbeauvais2292]

Oui mais ça c'était avant, maintenant ww 😅😂😢

[@kevinisam]

Not real, The battery would be dead from the cold. And it wouldn't start RIGHT up

[@slayterm13]

omfg why r u all so negative