How Long Can A Volkswagen Beetle Float On Water?

The question of how long a Volkswagen Beetle can float on water has been asked and answered. A VW Beetle commercial about this issue was made in 1972, showing a Beetle driving on a beach and entering the water, floating at least long enough for the pitchman/driver inside to make his closing argument, “Now, what other car gives you this kind of quality at this kind of price?” The commercial ends a few seconds later, with the Beetle still afloat. The Volkswagen Beetle’s ad agency, Doyle Dane Bernbach, added a warning at the end of the commercial, intended to prevent other VW owners from trying such a stunt at home. It clearly stated, underneath the car’s superimposed price of $1999, “The VW will definitely float, but it will not float indefinitely.”

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Photographer Tony Triolo shot a photo of a Volkswagen Beetle after it was gently lowered into the waters of Homosassa Springs, Florida. The Beetle did float for a while, but as advertised, it did not do so indefinitely. After an elapsed time of 29 minutes and 12 seconds, it sank beneath the water.

There are several characteristics of a Volkswagen Beetle’s construction that make it much more watertight than the average car. One is the Beetle’s unibody construction, which leaves very few places for water to infiltrate its flat floorplan. The Beetle’s doors sealed very well, and its body gaps were as narrow as possible. All of these qualities combined to allow the VW Beetle to remain afloat much longer than most other vehicles, but the Volkswagen Beetle was no boat. 

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There was a distant Beetle relative that could function as a decent boat. This was the amphibious Schwimmwagen, previously developed by Ferdinand Porsche for Hitler’s armed forces during World War II. The Schwimmwagen featured an early 25-horsepower version of the Beetle’s air-cooled engine, located within a boat like hull of welded steel, which allowed it to float very well. It also had a four-speed transmission mated to a unique four-wheel drive system for overlanding, plus a three-bladed propeller for water propulsion that could be retracted when not being used. 

From 1942 to 1944, a total of 14,276 Schwimmwagens were produced for the war effort. During the postwar years, the surviving water-going Schwimmwagens gained popularity with duck hunters, who took them into European marshes and swamps.

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