The gas gauge on the earliest VW Bus was a cut-off broom stick placed above the gas tank, which, itself, - excitingly - sat just just next to the engine.
The early Beetles flew along the freeway in California until the tank emptied - then you stabbed the clutch in - flipped a reserve lever - counted to 3, dumped the clutch and continued on to Disneyland ...all without spilling a drop of your
Orange Julius!
Stig