Volkswagen Ends Beetle Production

Volkswagen is ending production of its Beetle, and will send the final vehicle to a museum in Puebla, Mexico, near the factory that produced the iconic car. Several companies, including Best Buy, have used the Beetle as a branded fleet vehicle.

The automaker is selling a limited run of 2019 Beetle Final Edition vehicles. Volkswagen de Mexico's Puebla plant will be repurposed to build a compact SUV that will slot into the lineup below the Tiguan.

Best Buy's Geek Squad used Beetles until 2016, when the vehicles were replaced by gasoline-electric hybrids as part of the company's bid to reduce fleet emissions. The vehicle also found its way into business fleets such as Bug Doctor, the pest control provider for Yankee Stadium, and small insurance providers.

"With its instantly recognizable iconic shape, the Beetle has been utilized by several well-known companies over its many years as an extension of their brands," said Martin Kiel, Volkswagen's national fleet sales manager. "We are very proud of those partnerships and the unforgettable impression the Beetle made with consumers."

Over the years, Volkswagen sold 5 million Type 1 Beetles in the U.S. and 21.5 million globally. The car, which was designed in Nazi Germany, was sold in greater numbers in the late 1940s due to World War II. In 1974, Volkswagen's Golf replaced the Beetle.

In 1998, Volkswagen reintroduced the nameplate as the New Beetle, which sold 1.2 million units to 2010. The third generation arrived in 2011 as the 2012 Beetle. The plant built about 500,000 third-generation vehicles.

The final car, a Denim Blue coupe, will go on display in Puebla. A pair final vehicles built for the U.S. in Kings Red with custom dashes, keys, and quilted seats, will join Volkswagen of America's collection of historic vehicles.