Volkswagen Beetle Production Ends Today, Wednesday, July 30, 2003
There are many ways to say goodbye, especially when that goodbye is bittersweet. Alas, it's time to bid farewell to an old friend. Or maybe adios is more appropriate, being that the now classic rear-engine Beetle is being produced only in Mexico.
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| Alas, it's time to bid farewell to an old friend, the classic Beetle has enjoyed a 7 year production run in Mexico and 70 years globally. (Photo: Volkswagen) |
Made almost human in Disney's Herbie the Love Bug series of films, the Beetle has been a friendly and loveable car in an automotive world that often reveres power and prestige above all else. Perhaps it was cantankerous at times, especially as Herbie, but just the same the Volkswagen Beetle had a personality like no other.
Rarely has a car had broader appeal, or a more faithful following. There are hundreds of thousands of Beetle enthusiasts all over the world, and well over a hundred websites devoted to all things Beetle, my personal favorites being the The Bugmeister (www.thebugmeister.com) and the Rare Air Emerald Coast Volkswagen Club (paste it into Google as it's too long) websites.
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| Volkswagen's plant in Mexico was the only one in the world that was still producing the loveable old-style Beetle. (Photo: Volkswagen) |
This unparalleled obsession led to the introduction of the New Beetle by Volkswagen a few years ago, a car that has become popular and loved in its own right by owners and onlookers alike. It's even appreciated by billionaire investor Warren Buffet, someone who can afford any vehicle he desires.
But today marks the end of an automotive era. Volkswagen's plant in Mexico, the only one in the world that still produces the old-style Beetle, will put the finishing touches on its last Beetle, a special retro edition that Volkswagen started building only weeks ago on Thursday, July 10.