Why ?

Why is it in lots of adverts and films a broken car is shown at the side of the road but quite often it is a VW beetle at the side of the road with the back open and steam coming out of it.

They are air cooled you don't get steam

They are air cooled you don't get steam

As a former bug owner I can report that if a bug owner gets *really* frustrated and abuses their misbehaving vehicle in a very particular fashion....well ...you get steam.

Maybe its the same VW, and they just rent it out.

typically they catch on fire due to a fuel leak, maybe it's smoke, not steam

Well over here it's always a convertible Chevy Belaire from the 50's.

The cars I see DOA on the side of the road most often are Buick's. I used to have one myself and it crapped out on me quite often, but it was free so I couldn't complain too much.

They are air cooled you don't get steam

No, but you can getting something worse. Back in H.S., a friend and I were driving up a long grade into the mountains when the bug (thrashed baja variety) starting losing power. We pulled over to investigate. Problem was, it was twilight and getting dark fast. So my friend, genius that he was, took out a Bic lighter and starting looking around. It turned out that the mechanical fuel pump diaphragm had broken, which tends to dump some gas into the case.

I'm standing there watching, he's bent over with the lighter up close when... WHUMP! Some fumes ignited. I swear I could see the case seem to expand at every seam. He landed several feet back on his ass, and I laughed till I had tears in my eyes.

Live and learn.