953 nut 52,912 #1 Posted July 30, 2016 7-30-2003 Last classic VW Beetle rolls off the line On this day in 2003, the last of 21,529,464 Volkswagen Beetles built since World War II rolls off the production line at Volkswagen’s plant in Puebla, Mexico. One of a 3,000-unit final edition, the baby-blue vehicle was sent to a museum in Wolfsburg, Germany, where Volkswagen is headquartered. The car produced in Puebla that day was the last so-called “classic” VW Beetle, which is not to be confused with the redesigned new Beetle that Volkswagen introduced in 1998. (The new Beetle resembles the classic version but is based on the VW Golf.) The roots of the classic Beetle stretch back to the mid-1930s, when the famed Austrian automotive engineer Dr. Ferdinand Porsche met German leader Adolf Hitler’s request for a small, affordable passenger car to satisfy the transportation needs of the German people Hitler called the result the KdF (Kraft-durch-Freude)-Wagen (or “Strength-Through-Joy” car) after a Nazi-led movement ostensibly aimed at helping the working people of Germany; it would later be known by the name Porsche preferred: Volkswagen, or “people’s car.” The first production-ready Kdf-Wagen debuted at the Berlin Motor Show in 1939; the international press soon dubbed it the “Beetle” for its distinctive rounded shape. During World War II, the factory in Kdf-stat (later renamed Wolfsburg) continued to make Beetles, though it was largely dedicated to production of war vehicles. Production was halted under threat of Allied bombing in August 1944 and did not resume until after the war, under British control. Though VW sales were initially slower in the United States compared with the rest of the world, by 1960 the Beetle was the top-selling import in America, thanks to an iconic ad campaign by the firm Doyle Dane Bernbach. In 1972, the Beetle surpassed the longstanding worldwide production record of 15 million vehicles, set by Ford Motor Company’s legendary Model T between 1908 and 1927. It also became a worldwide cultural icon, featuring prominently in the hit 1969 movie “The Love Bug” (which starred a Beetle named Herbie) and on the cover of the Beatles album “Abbey Road.” 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 24,518 #2 Posted July 30, 2016 And Daisy sales skyrocket over-night!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunahead72 2,350 #3 Posted July 30, 2016 I miss my Bug. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 52,912 #4 Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) Any guesses which member here owned this Bug? Hint, he is from Elgin Illinois. Edited July 30, 2016 by 953 nut 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 52,912 #6 Posted July 30, 2016 7 minutes ago, rmaynard said: You? No, not mine. I had a '65 Bug, the hint was the owner lives in Elgin, Illinois. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,001 #7 Posted July 30, 2016 Didn't see the hint. Must be Beetleasaurus 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunahead72 2,350 #9 Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) Seriously?!? Somebody wake his arse up and get him in on this conversation! That's sharp! So many memories... Just thought of something, mine was even red. Edited July 30, 2016 by tunahead72 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,316 #10 Posted July 31, 2016 That is a 1972 Super Beetle. I bought it new when I was stationed in Maine in the Navy. I ordered the Formula V shifter and a factory trailer hitch. I really loved that car...had it for 11 years That blue was really cool under mercury lights and it had the white interior. The pin stripping definitely set that car off. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
