Although the 1300 (actually 1285 cc) engine was only offered for one year (1966) in the US, in the rest of the world, the 1300 was offered for a number of years, and became the most popular choice for good reasons: its power output (50 gross/44 net/DIN) combined with the lower (higher numerical) axle ratio of the 1200 gave it almost as good of acceleration as the larger models up to 50 mph or so, and it fuel economy was significantly better than the 1500/1600 engine versions.
Roshake 77 found and shot a couple of 1300’s (not 1300S, which was the designation for European 1500/1600 engine Beetles) in Budapest, and their vintage looks to be around 1968-1969.
At this time the European Standard (stripper) VW was still the 1200, and would be for a number of years more. The history of the Standard Beetle is fascinating, and when one shows up on the Cohort, I’ll write it up. It was a continuous effort by VW to offer a rock-bottom price VW, and they did it by keeping long obsolete components like mechanical brakes and synchronized transmissions in production for them way beyond what the Export/DeLuxe version got. The Standard 1200 had a crash box transmission until well into the ’60s.
Here’s another one roshake 77 found, of the same vintage. By this time, the Beetle’s long reign in Germany and many other European countries was starting to crumble, thanks to cars like the Fiat 124, Opel Kadett and others, which offered significantly better accommodations and performance. But the VW also still had a massive following, thanks to its highly proven reliability, quality and excellent traction in snow. Especially in places like Tyrol, folks that lived in the mountains still placed a high value on its qualities.
It’s nice to see these two veterans still doing what they were doing some 50 years ago, and looking none the worse for it.
Related:
CC 1966 VW 1300: The Best Beetle of the All, Or At Least The Sportiest PN
It’s a VW 1300 TAS, build by Tvornica Automobila Sarajevo (former Yougoslavia)… Could be 1971 MJ.
How can you tell it’s a Yugoslav VW? “TAS” is news to me. A quick google finds that they were built in Sarajevo, 1972-92. I learn something new every day.
As a kid in Greece in the 1970s, the only cars that came in “real” and “copy” versions were Fiats (real, from Italy I thought) and their copies (from perceived best to worst: Seat from Spain, Polski Fiat, Zastava, and Lada).
The white Beetle looks ‘cheaper’ due to the blacked out bumpers.
The green one reminds me of my dad’s 1968 Euro Beetle Ours was red. However, on ours, I remember distinctly that the wheel hub (hub AND cooling slots) were black, but the rim where the tire bead goes was white.
When did back-up lights become a standard fitment in Europe? Are there still any FIAT 127s on the streets of Europe? They were the best selling cars on the continent in the mid-’70s. The Ford Escort and Taunus/Cortina, the Opel Kadett and Ascona, and the Renault R5 were also established volume sellers when VW was trying to replace the Beetle with the Golf.
I’m not sure if our family car, my dad’s 1968 Beetle, was a 1300, or if he told me that. I cannot recall if it had “VOLKSWAGEN” or “1300” emblem above the license plate light.
It was bought new, in Greece, after the Air Force PCSed (transferred) him from Califorina. I was not even four, so it would be several years before I started noticing these types of details.
It was my father’s fourth, and final Beetle. Fourth NEW Beetle. He was generally frugal, and as an NCO, didn’t make a ton of money. HIs first new car was a 1955 or 56 Beetle in Oklahoma or Texas, and told me he sold it for what he paid for it one or two years later, when the Air Force moved him overseas. VW were a novelty at the time, he said. Then he bought a new one in Greece in 1962/63, while stationed in Greece, which he also sold for what he paid, when the AF moved him back to New York later in 1963.
In the US, with my mother pregnant with me, he got a “leftover” 63 Falcon.
Then, in 1967, when the Air Force reassigned him to California, he sold the Falcon bought ANOTHER new Beetle, took 30 days leave, and drove from New York to his new duty station at Hamilton AFB in Northern CA. My folks visited family, friends, and tourist sites, I found the map last year of “the big trip”. They fondly remembered that trip.
Then, rather quickly, my dad worked another assignment to Greece, and got his last bug.
Four NEW Beetles. I’d say my father, and other’s like him, did their part to make Volksagen AG and West Germany succeed.
In the 1970’s, I had a number of new/used Beetles, from ’65 to ’75 model years. I briefly had a ’66 1300, and none of the others climbed the “hill” up to Cal State Hayward like that car. That higher numerical final drive really made a difference. The ’65 1200 had the same final drive, but the 40 horse engine was no match for the 1300.
I wonder what a 1600 single port engine would be like on that transmission?
You’d think the transaxle would be rugged enough to handle an extra 7hp, but I just kept my cars stock, so I don’t know.
Except for final drive ratio, transaxle was otherwise internally the same, even with IRS and the dual port engines. Only the later bus transaxles were beefier.
Western Europe was an optimistic place in the mid-1960s…Finland included:
Laila Kinnunen – Danke schön (1963)
As is often noted in comments, I learned something new again. I always assumed the European VWs were basically the same as export models. I am really surprised that VWs were equipped with non-synchro transmissions as late as the 60s. Because of Porsche’s involvement with the development of this technology I thought that VWs would all use it.
Early Porsches also had crash boxes, until 1952. They were essentially the same as the early VW transmissions. 1952 was also the same year the VW first got synchronized gears, in second, third and fourth. I suspect that Porsche was the source of that design.
European models differed quite a bit from US export models. I had a ’67 European 1500 Deluxe Sunroof sedan.
six volt, but 12 volt size generator, starter, flywheel and clutch
steering column lock
four bolt non-safety rims
front disk brakes
single brake master cylinder
no backup lamps
no four way flashers
single speed wipers
no seat belts installed, but mountings were there including shoulder belts
I find this info quite interesting. I owned 60, 63, and 69 Beetles, the last one bought new. I drove and rode in dozens of other Beetles but cannot recall any experiences with a 66. Had no idea the 1300 engine/set-up was superior in a number of ways. The 69 seemed so much more powerful than the older models and also handled better with the new rear suspension. I spent a lot of time with a friend’s new 67 in the summer of 67 (it was a demonstrator owned by her Dad’s new VW dealership) as my first intro to the 1500 but missed out on the 1300. Good stuff.
As mentioned the 1300 Beetle & ‘Ghia were one year wonders on the U.S.A. but the license tags in Europe are levied by the engine’s displacement so the 1300 lived in in single and twin intake port versions for decades .
The 1300 was noticeably quicker than the 1200 40 HP engine it replaced but still tended to run out of breath on the freeway unlike the 1500 & 1600’s .
For many years these was a thriving business of good used 1300 twin port engines taken out of rusted Beetles in Germany, I’d buy them, strip down and do a deep service and cleanup and stick them in the used cars I built and the Customers loved them as ran well, used little fuel and didn’t leak oil .
-Nate
Not only in Europe but also in Brazil. I drive an 1981 1300 L and it is still adequate in modern traffic. Since I am in Argentina this is an export model with amenities such as radio, defroster an cloth upholstery.
Related COAL:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1968-vw-1300-my-first-car-what-were-the-odds/
First car was a ’66 1300 Beetle. Bought it from dad in 1972 who bought it new in Portland Oregon shortly before we moved to So Cal in 1967. One of his favorite cars, and he owned every US brand except for AMC. His first foreign brand. Owned a ’67 Continental at the same time, the Beetle is the car he kept long term. Sadly it was a short termer for me, totaled a few months later by 16 year old me running a stop sign blocked by a camper that I didn’t see.
I don’t know if the same was true in Europe, but in the US I could usually distinguish the 68s from the 69s by looking for a rear window defroster.