Production of the Volkswagen Beetle has drawn to a close at the firm’s Mexican factory – a model that has been produced since 1938.
Perhaps the firm’s most iconic nameplate, the Beetle has become a motoring icon around the world, with the original model being produced up to 2003 in certain markets.
The ‘New’ Beetle was introduced in 1998, with the latest iteration bring introduced in 2012. At the final count, Volkswagen produced 23 million examples of all Beetle variants.
The final example rolled off the production line earlier in the week in Denim Blue, with striking white and chrome alloy wheels. It’s heading straight for the Volkswagen Puebla Museum.
This news is nothing we don’t already know, with Volkswagen confirming that rumours of the Beetle’s demise were in fact true. Since last year, Volkswagen has been selling ‘Final Edition’ models, although these examples have never been sold in the UK.
Despite the Beetle having mass popularity over the years, it’s slowly fallen out of love with car buyers. Volkswagen registered just 1,598 examples in 2018 – a tiny number compared to the vast majority of its range. In the Beetle’s place, the Mexico plant will be geared up to produce a new North American SUV designed to sit underneath the Tiguan.
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There are no plans to bring the Beetle nameplate back, but Hinrich Woebcken, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America, said last year: “I would say ‘never say never’. The loss of the Beetle after three generations, over nearly seven decades, will evoke a host of emotions from the Beetle’s many devoted fans.”
