Aircooled VW South Africa

Does anybody have Car magazine road tests of various type 4 cars, (sedan,variant,411/412).
Would be nice to have that in the resource library. More type 3 road tests would be interesting as well.

Some Car road tests i have (if anyone is interested) are:
July 1968 1500 Beetle,
June 1971 1600 Beetle,
March 1979 2L kombi, (bay window).

Thanks.

I will have a look for some road tests

In the meanwhile, a 1600S test here http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... =25&t=9632

Thanks Pine.

There's an SP test around here somewhere as well

Thanks Blitz.
Have seen the road tests on the "S" and SP beetles.

Interesting to compare road tests. For instance, 1500 Beetle, (Car July 1968) and 1500 type 3 variant,(Car July 1964). That had the original basic single carb T3 engine with 45 hp. Beetle had 44hp. Same gearing, same camshaft, very similar power.
Beetle obviously over 100 kg lighter.

As would be expected,the beetle initially accelerated faster to 60 mph. (That time speed was still imperial.) But- by the time the beetle reached 70 mph, the heavier variant had made up its lost time and took 2 seconds less to reach 70mph than the beetle. Top speed was 4mph faster in the variant.
As speed rises, aerodynamic drag increases exponentially, so difference is bigger as it sounds.

This shows that because of the better drag coefficient of the type 3 car, (even in variant form),
it needs less power to move it at high speed.

However,sometimes road test results must be taken with a pinch of salt. During the mid to late seventies and early eighties there seemed to be inconsistencies in Car test results. Could have been calibration errors of test instruments, or other problems. For instance,a car tested with a cold engine performs much worse than a hot one.

The magazine found that a 1600 bay window panelvan used 10% more fuel than a similar 1600 bay kombi at same constand speed. Also that SP beetle test results are suspect. The twin carb SP had 16% more power and more torque, and it was known by beetle owners that they accelerated faster than a standard 1600.

Even so,it is interesting to read road test results. I have the various Brooklands series of reprinted road tests for beetles, but type 4 road tests are difficult to find.

ATTENTION: Eben

Would it perhaps be possible to create a seperate heading on ACVWSA called 'Air Cooled VW Road Tests', and make them sticky's?

I got a few to share....

I could put them in the resource library if you send them to me at

The resource library will be fine, thanks - I have actually forgotten about that

Interesting.....

Vader wrote "Interesting......"

Yes Vader, lots of interesting thingies happening on this website.....