Tommy’s 1971 Volkswagen Beetle convertible was pulled out of its cocoon to frolic in the snow.
Among Tommy’s collection of old, underpowered cars, his 1971 Volkswagen Beetle convertible stands out as one of the more modern of the bunch. Sure, he has a slick looking Fiat 500 that was built a bit later – but it makes the Beetle look like a Cadillac in terms of amenities. Also, somewhat ironically, it’s one of the more powerful vehicles in his collection.
His 2CV, Peugeot and Mini are also fun, but somewhat useless in snow.
That’s where this video starts: with Tommy and Brendan asking the question, “is the Volkswagen Beetle any good in the snow?” That’s because many people say it was outstanding, back in the day. This makes some sense: the Germans wanted a logical vehicle that could be driven year-round, and it certainly snows in Germany. The 1,600 CC engine sits in the rear, where a majority of the weight is, which adds to the traction. It doesn’t weight that much either. Weighing in well under a ton, the Beetle doesn’t need much power to move. This also helps in the snow.
The 1.6-liter, opposed four-cylinder engine makes about 60 horsepower and 82 lb-ft of torque. Tommy’s tire choice is a simple all-weather tire that is extremely narrow by today’s standards. The Beetle has no ABS, traction control or any other safety system whatsoever. This is one of the reasons he would rather not take it out during a Rocky Mountain winter storm. That, and the crappy heater are deal breakers.
Still, it performed surprisingly well on hill climbs, braking and cornering in pristine snow. Check it out below:
