The bug’s been squashed: VW builds its remaining Beetle
It was in 1938 that the Volkswagen Sort 1, extra generally known as the Beetle, or “Käfer” in its house market of Germany, first rolled off the road. Eight many years on and the nameplate has lastly been retired.
The final Beetle, a coupe completed in Denim Blue, rolled off the road at VW’s plant in Puebla, Mexico, on Wednesday. It will not be bought, although. As a substitute, VW will preserve it at its museum in Puebla.
There have been three generations of the Beetle: the unique icon, the New Beetle launched for 1998, and the present Beetle launched for 2012. The unique continued to be in-built Puebla till 2003, with greater than 21 million examples bought worldwide throughout its run.
Remaining Volkswagen Beetle at Puebla, Mexico, meeting plant
The 2019 mannequin 12 months is the final for the Beetle. To mark the automobile’s finish, VW launched a Beetle Remaining Version mannequin. It got here with a couple of particular touches mirroring options on the ultimate instance of the unique Beetle.
VW’s determination to drop the Beetle is not stunning as gross sales have slowed to a trickle. The U.S. is the nameplate’s greatest market and fewer than 15,000 have been bought right here final 12 months. VW plans to make use of the freed capability as its Puebla plant to construct a U.S.-bound compact crossover, which is rumored to be known as a Tarek.
Whereas whispers of the Beetle’s return as an EV have endured following VW’s battery-electric transformation, followers should not maintain out hope for a successor. VW has confirmed redesigned Beetle is not deliberate because the automaker is now targeted on a religious successor to the Microbus. It is coming early subsequent decade within the type of a manufacturing model of 2017’s ID Buzz idea.
