WOLFSBURG (dpa-AFX) - Volkswagen has stopped the production of its iconic Beetle after almost 80 years of its existence.
The last Beetle was rolled out on Wednesday from the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico. The decision to stop the production reportedly was due to the customers' changing interests for bigger vehicles as well as the company's electrification strategy.
Volkswagen de Mexico Chief Executive Steffen Reiche stated that the last Beetles will be sold on Amazon.com. Meanwhile, the final Beetle will be displayed at a Volkswagen museum in Puebla.
Beetle, nicknamed as 'bug', was unveiled in 1938 in Germany. It was commissioned by Adolf Hitler to promote Germans' car ownership. In the 1960s, the car reportedly was the best-selling import in the United States. Beetle attained stardom mainly with Walt Disney Productions' 1968 film 'The Love Bug'.
Over the years, Beetle went through significant changes. After producing more than 21 million vehicles, the original version of the Beetle ended production in 2003 in Mexico. New generations of Beetles were introduced both in 1998 and 2012. In recent years, the car's sales have been going down.
Volkswagen in September last year had said that it would stop Beetle production in 2019 with 'Final Edition' Beetle series.
Starting in late 2020, the Puebla factory will make the Tarek SUV in place of the Beetle. The plant already manufactures VW's Tiguan SUV.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
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