It seems the end is in sight for the Volkswagen Beetle:
VW Vortex is reporting that there could be a Final Edition for the 2019 model year, according to VIN code information submitted to NHTSA.
In March, we learned
the Beetle would not have an immediate, beetle-shaped successor, though a VW USA spokesperson said there were
no plans to discontinue the model in the United States. In European markets such as Germany, the Beetle is currently
only available to be ordered as a cabriolet, and no new tin-top Beetles are shipped to Germany from the factory in Mexico. For Australia, a 53-unit Final Edition was
already introduced way back in 2016, officially ending the model’s sales there. The U.S. market is a different ballpark, though, and the Beetle remains listed on
the VW.com website as both hardtop and convertible, though just over 15,000 were sold in the U.S. last year, down from a high of 43,000 in 2013.
In the future,
the I.D Buzz electric microbus will be VW’s heritage inspired vehicle, and the Beetle name will be shelved until further notice. While Beetle sales are down, the Final Edition would be a fitting last hurrah.
VW Vortex reminds that the New Beetle also got a special Final Edition in 2010, as the original Beetle revamp was wound down in favor of the current, chunkier model. The 2010 Final Edition New Beetle was only available in Aquarius Blue, with Campanella White highlights available for the convertible.
The 2010 Final Edition was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and it’s not unlikely that the Beetle’s 2019 model year swan song would also be unveiled at the L.A. show in early December. We have reached out to VW USA for a comment.
Related Video:
Video ID:
41d3a6df-ebdb-38ef-9d32-b2b80b949a84
Playlist ID:
Autoplay:
false
Mute:
false
Continuous:
false
Ad Key:
Ad Value: