Cold Bugs: How a Volkswagen Beetle Explored the Antarctic
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Navigating the Antarctic continent is no easy feat. Those who find themselves on the continent must contend with snow, ice, rough terrain, and freezing conditions. It's a tough environment for a human to survive, and it can be even tougher for a vehicle.
Several attempts have been made to drive across the Antarctic with varying degrees of success, though the South Pole has been reached multiple times. Several nations have attempted to create extraordinary expedition vehicles for the trek, ranging from modified tractors to custom-designed exploration vehicles. Despite the harsh conditions, however, it was a near-stock Volkswagen Beetle that effortlessly hopped around for several years in the Antarctic.
Before the Beetles
The first car to reach Antarctic shores was the 1907 Arrol-Johnston, which immediately struggled once it arrived. Its thin wooden wheels dug into the snow, and the engine had also not been tested for extreme cold conditions.
Meanwhile, in the 1940s, the U.S. designed the Snow Cruiser, a ground-up attempt at making a mobile Antarctic base. It had crew housing, an engine that could be maintained internally, and smooth, three-metre-high tires to tackle any terrain. This latter decision was the downfall of the Snow Cruiser; its massive tires failed to get any grip on the snow, which eventually resulted in the project being abandoned the very same year.
A Colony of Beetles
Seeing that these beefy, specially-built rigs couldn’t handle the extreme conditions, one might assume that it was unlikely for a humble Volkswagen Beetle to be as successful in the Antarctic as it was. In 1962, the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) sought out an affordable, fuel-efficient vehicle to get around its research base, Mawson Station. The tractors that were already in use had their limitations and were restricted by their slow speed and high fuel consumption. Researchers at the station contacted Volkswagen of Australasia seeking some Beetles that could be used to run daily functions around the base.
The researchers sought out Volkswagen Beetles specifically because researchers at Mawson Station had already successfully operated water-cooled tractors and trucks. They reasoned that if water-cooled vehicles survived, an air-cooled Beetle should be just as successful in extreme cold conditions, if not more.
Coincidentally, at the time,Volkswagen's brand marketing representatives were being told to seek out advertising opportunities to show off the Beetle's cold-weather capability, so this request suited the company's Australian division quite well. VW provided ANARE with a 1962 Beetle, painted a bold shade called Ruby Red to help it stand out against the white snow and the car was named Antarctica 1. Volkswagen captured plenty of promotional footage of the car and used it in several ad campaigns.
The car didn’t get any special modifications aside from VW’s standard winterizing package already offered for European Beetles that included a stronger starter, additional insulation, and winter tires. The only other modification was a custom cover for the air intake that would block thin Antarctic snow from entering the engine bay.
Under testing, Antarctica 1 proved extremely capable; the combination of its light body and thin tires meant the Beetle could easily handle snow and avoid getting stuck. The Beetle found multiple uses around the base, from towing supplies to transporting people. Antarctica 1 had been so successful it was dubbed the “Red Terror” by the researchers at Mawson Station.
In 1964, Antarctica 1 was decommissioned and returned to Volkswagen Australia. To fill its place was Antarctica 2, an orange Beetle that was given additional modifications such as extra cabin insulation and reinforced suspension to better handle the difficult terrain. Unfortunately, Antarctica 2 was not as successful as its predecessor: it was caught in a brutal storm less than a year into service, which resulted in irreparable engine damage, and the car had to be returned to Volkswagen.
In 1966, Antarctica 2 returned to Mawson Station, but as a different Beetle, technically making it Antarctica 3. It had all the same modifications as Antarctica 2, which proved to be extremely useful, with the unofficial Antarctica 3 remaining in service until 1970. Over its service life, it covered several thousand kilometres, proving the Beetle's reliability in extreme cold weather.
Following the retirement of the Beetles from Antarctic service, all vehicles were eventually sold either for private use or to employees, and all three Antarctic Beetles went on to compete in various rally events in Australasia. Despite this, the exact location of any of these cars is no longer known.
The fact that this little array of Beetles served so successfully in the Antarctic remains an oddity in history. The use of these cars by ANARE is very much a product of the time, when permanent Antarctic research stations were being established, and researchers didn’t know what vehicles worked in such a treacherous climate. Many vehicles have driven on Antarctic shores, but few have looked as good at the south pole as they did at a drive-thru.
