The Last Volkswagen Beetle – Mexico VW Production Ends

In Puebla, Mexico, Volkswagen automaker factory memorialized the end of production of the Beetle.  Volkswagen’s iconic car model, a denim blue final edition coupe, is slated to be put on display at the company’s museum nearby.  There are two final edition models, the Final Edition SE and the Final Edition SEL.  Originally built in Wolfsburg Germany and commissioned by Adolf Hitler as the “people’s car”, the beetle has been manufactured on and off through the years, in locations around the world before production was finally consolidated in Puebla, Mexico.  Production, begun in 1938, was halted in 1970 and restarted in 1998 and was halted again in 2003.  Known affectionately as the “Bug”, the beetle car was an icon of the 1960s, when the VW sales campaign “small is beautiful” skyrocketed the popularity of the Beetle.  In 1968, the first of several Movies featuring Herbie the Love Bug Beetle were released, further beguiling the public with the Volkswagen Beetle.

In 2015, US EPA accused the Volkswagen group of installing an emissions-compliance “defeat device” on its diesel vehicles including the beetle. The recent years’ steady decline of Volkswagen beetle sales may be unrelated, but Volkswagen felt it must pull the plug on production of the nostalgic Beetle.   If you will miss the Beetle, keep in mind that Volkswagen is now focusing on electric car design and production.