Most of the literature floating around for Volkswagen Beetles, particularly on the interwebz is based on European and North American vehicles where things were alot different to Aussie production.
Unless you are a fairly knowledgable VW enthusist or just grew up with them when they were new, to 99% of the general public a bug is a bug, they all look the same to the untrained eye.
Alot of people are unaware that there were 2 very different models sold from 1971 or they are just not sure which they have as there is alot of misinformation thrown about and they look very similar at first glance.
This is not an indepth 100% accurate guide, just a quick run down which will hopefull give people a better idea of which Bug they are looking at.
Beginning in early 1971 Volkswagen released a new deluxe model beetle with the double jointed rear suspension commonly called IRS (even though all Beetles are technically IRS) first seen in 1968 Semi-automatic beetles and an all new redesigned McPherson strut front end as opposed to the traditional Torsion bar front end used since day dot.
More confusion is caused as they went by a variety of names in different countries.
In Europe they were known as 1302 (1971-1972) and 1303 (1973 onwards), In North America they were simply known as a Super Beetle and in Australia they were known as a Superbug.
The 1971-1972 1302 with the flat windscreen and dash being a Superbug S and the 1973-1975 1303 with the larger curved windscreen being known as a Superbug L, over time Aussie slang has dubbed them Sbug and Lbug.
Our market was too small in the 70s to produce an Australian owners manual so the LHD European 1302 and 1303 ones were supplied instead so alot of newer owners have also taken to calling them 1302 and 1303 not knowing.
At the same time the Superbug was offered, the standard Beetle everyone was used to was still also available.
It was still the same 1500 Beetle that had been around since 1968 but to make it a cheaper "no frills" beetle the 1500 engine was swapped a smaller 1300 engine and the front disc brakes were swapped for drums and various trim removed like the chrome in the window rubbers, rear passenger ohshit straps and the door arm rests.
I notice it most on Ebay and various car classifieds, where the VWs being sold are mainly just daily drivers owned by people to whom bugs are just a mode of transport so they don't always know or care whether it's a Beetle or a Superbug they have which results in alot of Beetles being advertised as Superbugs and vice versa which can cause new owners many headaches come parts buying time.
Over the last 20 odd years I've heard all sorts of crazy comments from people.
It's got big round tail lights, it must be a Superbug
There's vents behind the side windows, it must be a Superbug
The chassis number starts with 111 or 112 same as a Beetle, it can't be a Superbug
The Windscreen is flat, it can't be a Superbug
The dash is a plastic padded one, it must be a Superbug
The engine is a 1600, it must be a Superbug.
It's got disc front brakes, it must be a Superbug.
The engine lid says Volkswagen S or L, it must be a Superbug.
You get the idea......
Some of those were true when the cars were new, but after 4 decades of parts swapping aren't always an accurate thing to go by.
A few weeks back I came across a bug advertised on ebay as a "1600 12 volt superbug" by a clueless owner who was adamant it was a Superbug as many passers by and mechanics had pointed out how much wider it was....
The car??
a 1962 6volt beetle with a 12 volt conversion and a Carrera kit 🙄
Almost no Superbug parts were compatible with it, but a newbie to VWs isn't to know that.
From the rear Beetles and Superbugs appear the same aside from engine lid badging and even from the side, it's only at the front with the wider bonnet due to the strut front end (and larger curved windscreen on Lbugs) that the difference becomes more obvious.
The wider bonnet and bigger Lbug windscreen don't become real obvious to most people until you put a Beetle next to an Lbug:
Also in the boot will give a definitive answer.
ALL standard bugs with Torsion bar front end have a spare that sits upright like this:
Where as ALL S and L Superbugs have a spare tyre that lays flat due to the front struts like this.
Aussie 1970-1975 1300 Standard Beetle.
The 1970 onwards 1300 standard Beetle was just the existing 1500 Beetle sold from 1968 to 1970 with torsion bar front end and swing axle rear.
They were first released in March 1970 just prior to Superbugs being released in April 1971, but fitted with 4 wheel drum brakes and a 1300 single port engine.
This was replaced by the new twin port 1300 engine in 1971.
After that the 1300 Beetle remained basically untouched only gaining a few safety items at the same time as Superbugs did.
The new flow through cabin ventilation system with the inside rear window vents and outside crescent vents was introduced for 1971.
1971 only used plastic 1 piece vent surrounds which rapidly fell apart in the Aussie sun, so VW changed in 1972 to individual vent surrounds.
Many people mistake the external crescent vents to be associated with engine cooling but they are to vent the inside cabin air.
Highback seats, safety 4 spoke steering wheel, a bigger back window and reverse lights for 1972
And a padded Dashboard and the larger round elephants feet tail lights for 1973.
The badge on the engine lid always read VW1300.
A few minor cosmetic changes were the 2 vent engine lid replaced by 4 vent and wiper switch moved to a new column stalk type in 72
the front bonnet badge, chrome crescent vent surrounds and cable operated fuel flap were all dropped in 73.
And the 3 point runner seats fitted to the very last 1300s in late 74.
1976 1600 Beetle.
Ok this one is an Aussie only oddball and one of the most commonly wrongly labelled bugs.
As Beetle production was winding up to finish in 1976 the factory created a mix and match beetle using the remaining standard 1300 Beetle bodies with a few updates and fitted with left over Superbug 1600 engines, gearboxes, IRS and disc front brakes.
Alot of people mistake these as Superbugs due to the disc brakes, 1600 engine and IRS, but they were in fact a standard Beetle due to still having the old Torsion bar front end.
A few other changes were the front indicators moved down to the bumper and a charcoal canister and dash fresh air fan fitted.
the fuel injection style buldged rear valance was also fitted.
There was also a thermostatically operated ventilation flap on the engine lid under the number plate light housing
They were sometimes known as the badgeless bug as there was no engine lid badge fitted and no hood badge, only the VW emblems in the hubcaps.
1971-1972 1600 Superbug S
The first generation of Superbugs can be a bit harder to distinguish from a standard beetle as they still have the same flat windscreen and same old metal dash, so it's only the wider bonnet that gives them away and the bottom of the front guards and valance curl under the car.
Looking under the front guards behind the tyres will also reveal the coil spring struts.
Whilst in Europe they were available with 1200, 1300 and 1600 engines and disc or drum brakes, in Australia there was only the 1600 twinport with the new offset "doghouse" oil cooler and the double jointed axle "IRS" rear end and Front Brakes were only discs
Various trim like window rubber chrome, door arm rests and rear seat ohshit straps fitted and the same flow through cabin ventilation as Beetles.
They were also available with the 3 speed semi-automatic gearbox.
The only obvious visual changes to Sbugs were in 1972 the 4 vent engine lid, larger back window, reverse lights, highback seats, 4 spoke steering wheel and the column mounted wiper switch.
The engine lid badge always read Volkswagen S, except on the automatics which had VWautomatic.
ADR 21 came into effect in January 1973 just as Superbug S were finishing up so it's very rare to see but the last batch were made with the padded dashboard same as the 1300 Beetle.
1973-1975 1600 Superbug L
The 2nd generation Superbugs came about due to a proposed American Legislation which never came to fruition dictating that the distance from the windscreen to the front passengers heads had to be a bigger than what Beetles had.
So VW created the Lbug with the 42% larger curved windscreen moved further forward away from the front occupants and a deeper more padded dash for increased passenger safety.
These are the most distinguishing features of the Superbug L.
Running gear was carried over from the Sbug, in 74 the front struts were redesigned with the new 2 bolt negative scrub radius and in 1975 the worm and roller steering box was dropped for Rack and Pinion steering.
Visually Lbug did not change except for 1975 the front indicators moved to the bumper, the bonnet around the handle was more squared off, the fuel injection style buldged rear valance was introduced and the thermostatically operated ventilation flap on the engine lid under the number plate light housing .
The engine lid was always Volkswagen L, even most semi automatic Lbugs seem to carry the same badge although the semi-auto option was also dropped in 1974
1975 Superbug L with bumper mounted indicators and reshaped square cut bonnet:
One other seldom known fact is Lbugs are the only model after 1957 that have a different rear vent pattern below the rear window
This is important to know if your are purchasing an aluminium vent trim as Lbugs have 42 Slots, all other bugs after ovals have 50 slots.
