Production of the third generation Volkswagen Beetle has ended at the company’s factory in Puebla, Mexico with the last car going to company museum in the city.
Production ended on July 10, 2019, bringing to an end a lineage that began before World War II. The original car, known as the KdF wagen and Type 1 before being nicknamed the Beetle due to its shape, sold around 21.5 million copies during its long life.
The retro second generation New Beetle was introduced in 1998, and used the Golf platform so it was front engine, FWD rather than rear engine RWD. 1.2 million New Beetles were sold during its production run.
The third generation car was introduced in 2011, and has gone on to sell around 500,000 units.
Production capacity previously used by the Beetle will be employed by a new SUV for North America. The SUV will be based on the Tharu, and will slot in underneath the Tiguan.
