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Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:11 pm

Can any of you Nice Guys out there in Bug Land tell me the actual difference between the Super Beetle and the Standard Bug? If possible, please email me privately as I don't frequently check these boards. Thanks!

Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:54 pm

Supers have strut suspension.

BTW - you should have posted this in the Super Beetle forum.

Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:32 pm

the front trunk is bigger so that the spare tire can lay down flat. the dash got a padding, there are also some slight and major changes that were made the super. It seems that the hardcore standard owners almost hate the super idea. Try posting this in the standard area and see what happens

Sat Sep 25, 2004 7:59 am

Actually all bugs in the USA got padded dashes in '68. The bigest difference is the strut front end. (and the definant pride of many super owners)

Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:02 am

Super also have bigger turn signals and a more rounded bubbled out hood

Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:08 am

Go to the Super Beetle forum and look at the first post (sticky). It gives a long explanation of the differences. (Full Disclosure: I wrote it. :oops: )

Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:34 pm

'73 to '79 Super has curved windshield, and bigger dash.
'71 and '72 Super has flat windshield.
'75 was last year for the Super sedan, also first year for rack and pinion steering.

Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:55 pm

vdubber67 wrote: Super also have bigger turn signals

Supers and Standards of the same years have the same lights.

Wed Sep 29, 2004 1:55 am

allow me to demonstrate....

1973 super beetle: (curved windowscreen & plaggy dash)

1974 standard beetle: (flat windowscreen, flat padded dash)

1959 standard beetle: (earlier model, note: towel rail bumpers, sloping headlights & all the trimmings)

Sun Nov 14, 2004 7:43 pm

Post a picture of a 71' or '72 super beetle and really confuse him!

Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:15 pm

someone said 75 was the last sedan, i thought it was 77. i have my 77 owners manual and it has listed owners manual for a 77 sedan and conv. correct me if i am wrong.

Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:35 pm

There were some 76 and 77 Beetle sedans imported into the US

Mon Nov 22, 2004 4:14 pm

Supers are generally cheaper to buy than a standard.

Mon Nov 22, 2004 6:33 pm

Well it seems the super VS standard rears it ugly head again. Only a true VW fan will love them both, as they are after all VW's. Struts, 2 different dash pads, front hoods and front windshields. That was made as the standard was suffering from much better cars in the early 70's and they needed to compete. The super did that, without changing things, the standard would have been outdone in everyway by almost every car. All convertibles were super's shortly after the 1st 1971. No supprise, better front protection and handling for high speed driving. Yes the torsion bar is the original, but so is the 36hp, I see so many purists putting lowered beams, BIG engines, and I.R.S trannys in pre 1967 bugs. Who are they kidding, love the original, keep it original!!!!!

Mon Nov 22, 2004 7:50 pm

rickc'svdubs wrote: someone said 75 was the last sedan, i thought it was 77. i have my 77 owners manual and it has listed owners manual for a 77 sedan and conv. correct me if i am wrong.

75 was the last year for the Super sedan...

Tue Nov 23, 2004 11:30 am

my 78 sb vert manual is also listing the sedan model, they just did not bother making a vert only manual. Maybe other countries still had the sedan around at that time

Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:22 am

The last model year for the Super Beetle hardtop was 1975 even though some were made after August 1975. Some people erroneously call these 1976 Supers because of their date of manufacture, but that's wrong and misleading. They may have extra caché or value as such depending who is doing the selling and buying, but the VIN will still start with a 135 and will be registered as a 1975.

Similarly, the last model year for the convertible was 1979 even though some were still being built as late as January 1980. The parallel to what I wrote above applies here as well with VINs still starting with a 159 and needing to be registered as a 1979.

A couple of side notes before I continue: First, all Beetle convertibles from the 1971 model year onward are Super Beetles. Second, the third digit in the VINs listed above refer to the model year. (Not everyone knows that.)

All Supers have the strut suspension.

Standard Beetles were made in Germany until 1978. They were also made in many other countries as well as assembled in many other countries. Officially, all standard Beetles imported into the USA were German. Volkswagen decided not to export the hardtop Beetle to the states for the 1978 model year, so the last model year for standard Beetles in the US was 1977. (I am not sure about Canada.) The owner's manual may indeed list the sedan or Sedan for that year but it means nothing as VW had pulled the plug.

I say "sedan or Sedan" for good reason. Small-s is because these cars are sedans using American terminology (as opposed to "saloon" which has a very different meaning here). Cap-s is because one of the many names Beetles have had worldwide is Sedan. The air-cooled Beetles made in Mexico until recently were sold there until the very end as the Sedan.

Owner's manuals from Volkswagen -- especially in the US -- often have anomalies. My 1981 Pickup, 1986 Jetta, 1993 EuroVan and 2002 Cabrio owner's manuals listed accesories which were never offered to the American public. I'm not sure about the other VW owner's manuals I have or have had.

Finally, Mexican Beetles were never officially imported into the USA. Most of those which are here (including my brother-in-law's) were Mexican Beetles plunked onto an older pan. As a result, everything about the car would essentially still be a 1998, 2001 or whatever, but it would have a 1966, 1970 or whatever VIN and have to be registered as such. These cars are odd-balls by enthusiasts' standards because they will have certain modern features and yet still be clinging onto the archaic swing axle design and pre-1972 rear window.

Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:14 pm

Here's a 72 super flat windsheild