Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc.2019. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. CNN's Peter Valdes-Dapena contributed to this report. The "Final Edition" Beetle will end production in Puebla, Mexico in July 2019. "I would also say, 'Never say never,'" he said in the statement. In the months to come more automakers will be announcing more iconic model cancellations."īut Volkswagen chief Woebcken left open the possibility that the Beetle may one day rise from the grave. "Anyone surprised or disappointed by this announcement better prepare themselves. "In this environment the business case for cars in general, and small cars in particular, becomes increasingly difficult to justify," Bauer said. "Unlike Ford's Mustang and, so far, Dodge's Challenger and Chevrolet's Camaro, Volkswagen will let an iconic model die rather than fight market trends," Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, said in an emailed statement. Recently, consumers have been far more interested in SUVs and other spacious vehicles than compact cars. Beetle was the star of 1968's "The Love Bug."īut market trends have shifted drastically since the Beetle's heyday. Volkswagen brought the Beetle back with new generations in 19. More than 21 million were produced over the car's 65-year lifespan. The original version of the Beetle, a rear-engined vehicle that owners often decked out in colorful paints during the flower power era of the 1960s and 70s, ended production in Mexico in 2003. Its fame was solidified with Walt Disney's 1968 film "The Love Bug," which features a anthropomorphic Beetle named Herbie that makes a splash on the California racing circuit. The car entered mass production after World War II, and it debuted in North America in 1949, and within two decades, became one of the world's best-selling vehicles. "Volkswagen" means "People's Car" in German.