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Volkswagen Beetle ends production

Volkswagen has produced the very last Beetle at its Puebla facility in Mexico, marking the end of an eight-year production run for the third-generation model.


The final vehicle – a ‘Denim Blue’ Beetle coupe – will be put on display at the company’s museum in Puebla “as a lasting tribute to the automobile’s rich and storied heritage”.

“It’s impossible to imagine where Volkswagen would be without the Beetle. From its first import in 1949 to today’s retro-inspired design, it has showcased our company’s ability to fit round pegs into square holes of the automotive industry,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO for Volkswagen Group of America.

“While its time has come, the role it has played in the evolution of our brand will be forever cherished.”

In the US, Volkswagen sold nearly 5 million examples of the original Type 1 Beetle, with the worldwide total sitting at 21.5 million vehicles.

The New Beetle went on sale in 1998, and sold more than 1.2 million units between ‘98 and 2010. Finally, the third-generation Beetle went on sale in the US in 2011 with over 500,000 examples built since its introduction.

According to the German brand, the resources used to produce the Beetle will be shifted to produce a new compact SUV primarily focused on the North American market, which will sit below the Tiguan.

Reports out of the US claim the new crossover won’t be a version of the T-Cross or T-Roc offered in global markets, instead based on the Volkswagen Tharu that is currently on sale in China – also known as the Tarek in South America.

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