Same was true of most motorcycles until rather recently, though with motorcycles it was rare that there was a fuel gauge at all. A sputtering engine was how you

Same was true of most motorcycles until rather recently, though with motorcycles it was rare that there was a fuel gauge at all. A sputtering engine was how you knew it was low. And I believe that like with motorcycles, the "reserve tank" in an old Beetle is really the same tank - there are two hoses located in the tank at different heights.