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Volkswagen bids farewell to its heart and soul, the Beetle
Puebla, Mexico, July 31: Volkswagen said goodbye to its icon, the Beetle, ending production yesterday and sparking an international battle among collectors who want a final reminder of the car that was popular with everyone from post-World War II suburbanites to hippies.
Puebla, Mexico, July 31: Volkswagen said goodbye to its icon, the Beetle, ending production yesterday and sparking an international battle among collectors who want a final reminder of the car that was popular with everyone from
post-World War II suburbanites to hippies.
The world's last new Volkswagen Bug rolled off the assembly line at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, 105 km southeast of Mexico City. Factory workers and executives applauded the baby-blue car, decorated with a Mexican flag and flowers. It will be sent it to a museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Volkswagen produced 3,000 ``last edition'' bugs to be sold at Mexican dealerships for $8,000 _ a few hundred dollars more than the normal price. The design stays faithful to the original model with a few minor changes, including chrome trim, whitewall tires and a CD player. Experts said prices will likely rise as the car is resold in and outside Mexico.
``The prices are going to be higher because this is a car that is considered a classic, a limited edition,'' said Marcos Bureau, editor of Vochomania, a Mexico city magazine for bug lovers.
Collectors are flying to Mexico and shipping the car all over the world. Australian car collector Gary Collis said he couldn't resist making a long journey for a car he calls ``the heart and soul of Volkswagen.''
Bureau Report
The world's last new Volkswagen Bug rolled off the assembly line at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, 105 km southeast of Mexico City. Factory workers and executives applauded the baby-blue car, decorated with a Mexican flag and flowers. It will be sent it to a museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Volkswagen produced 3,000 ``last edition'' bugs to be sold at Mexican dealerships for $8,000 _ a few hundred dollars more than the normal price. The design stays faithful to the original model with a few minor changes, including chrome trim, whitewall tires and a CD player. Experts said prices will likely rise as the car is resold in and outside Mexico.
``The prices are going to be higher because this is a car that is considered a classic, a limited edition,'' said Marcos Bureau, editor of Vochomania, a Mexico city magazine for bug lovers.
Collectors are flying to Mexico and shipping the car all over the world. Australian car collector Gary Collis said he couldn't resist making a long journey for a car he calls ``the heart and soul of Volkswagen.''
Bureau Report