Yahoo Finance End of an era: Volkswagen ends production of its beloved Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle will roll off the assembly line for the very last time in the German manufacturer’s Mexican plant in Puebla this week.
As a first car for many people around the world and as one of the recognisable cars in history, the humble vehicle has a rich past.
The production a “people’s car” to be produced en masse for Germans was ordered by Adolf Hitler in 1934 and designed by Ferdinand Porsche, who gave the car its statement rounded silhouette.
After World War II, Volkswagen was relaunched as a civilian car-maker under British occupation authorities and rebranded as the “Beetle” to distance it from the Nazi period.
Eventually, the US became Volkswagen’s most significant foreign market, where the Beetle’s small size and unassuming stature contrasted with US’ car culture of size, bravado and showmanship.
The ‘bug’ also became a symbol of US’ countercultural ‘hippie movement’ in the 1960s, which advocated pacifism, environmentalism, artistic expression, and the recreational use of drugs, the ABC reported.
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Over the years, the Beetle has undergone multiple changes to its design to make it more sleek, modern and contemporary.
The very last Final Edition version of the Beetle will be displayed at the Volkswagen museum near Puebla, near the plant that made it.
"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," then-CEO Volkswagen Hinrich J. Woebcken said in a statement last year.
More than 23 million Volkswagen Beetles have been sold around the world.
Why is Volkswagen ceasing production of this iconic car?
Volkswagen is still bouncing back from a scandal that exposed the car manufacturer for cheating diesel emissions tests.
The company is now gearing up to produce the ID.3, an electric-powered car.
By bringing electric cars to the mass market, Volkswagen hopes it will have as much of an impact on the market as the Beetle.
The Beetle’s discontinuation will also free up more space in the Puebla plant to produce more of Volkswagen’s popular Tiguan car, according to CNet.
Is it really over for the Beetle?
Tellingly, Volkswagen hasn’t ruled it out.
"[T]here are no immediate plans to replace it," Woebcken said last year. "I would also say, 'Never say never.' "
So maybe it’s not so much as “goodbye forever” to the beloved car as it is a “see you later”.
–with AP
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