Brilliant Beetles on parade in LA

In July 2019, the final Volkswagen Beetle will roll off the production line in Puebla, Mexico.

The current model is the second generation of the ‘New Beetle’ that first appeared in 1998, but Puebla also built classic Beetles until 2003.

To commemorate the end of the line, Volkswagen has launched two ‘Final Edition’ models. The cars were shown at the recent LA Auto Show, where VW also displayed dozens of Beetles old and new – one of a series of planned events to celebrate the nameplate’s long history. Let’s take a look at some of the best…

Volkswagen Beetle (1947)

Owner Steve Beecher bought this early post-war Beetle eight years ago and has restored it to original condition. The car was originally sold in the UK but has been in the US for 25 years.

Volkswagen Beetle Hebmüller (1950)

This rare, two-seat convertible in metallic navy blue and silver was imported into the US from Germany two years ago. Fewer than 700 of the convertibles were produced by Hebmüller. Having been unable to fully recover from a major fire at the factory in 1949, the company went out of business in 1952.

Volkswagen Beetle Class 11 race car (1970)

With Volkswagen’s support, ‘Tope’, a 1970 off-road racing Beetle, completed the Baja 1000 in 2017 and will compete again in 2019. The car is based in Denver, Colorado, from where it travels to off-road events across North America.

Volkswagen Beetle GRC race car (2017)

The 552bhp Beetle GRC has been campaigned successfully in rallycross events by Andretti Autosport since 2014. Scott Speed won the Global RallyCross championship at the wheel of a Beetle in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Volkswage Beetle (1951)

This unrestored Beetle was one of the first Volkswagens brought to the US by initial importer, Max Hofmann. Off the road since 1972, the 25bhp Beetle still has its ‘matching numbers’ 1.1-litre engine.

Volkswagen Beetle (1962)

Owners, Steve and Nancy Kyllingstad of Cypress, California, have restored this 1962 Beetle in its original colour scheme of turquoise with silver/beige interior.

Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Cabriolet (1960)

Finished in Paprika Red, this recently renovated 1960 cabriolet has been owned by Eddie Galvin for more than 30 years.

Meyers Manx (1971)

The Manx was perhaps the most famous of the many Beetle kit-car conversions. Designed by Bruce Meyers, the Manx used the VW’s engine and floorpan to create an open-topped dune buggy that became synonymous with beach culture in California. This example is from Volkswagen of America’s own collection.

Volkswagen Beetle VR6 Concept (2012)

Also part of VW’s collection is this VR6 Concept. The 3.6-litre motor puts out 296bhp and the car is equipped with uprated brakes and suspension, plus 20in wheels and a roll cage. 

Volkswagen never fitted the VR6 to a production version of the final-generation Beetle but the 3.2-liter, VR6-powered RSi was available in Europe as a limited-run New Beetle from 2001.

Volkswagen Beetle Baja Bug (1968)

Named ‘Desert Dingo’, this Baja Bug from Volkswagen’s collection is typical of the desert racing Beetles that rose to popularity in the late 1960s.

Volkswagen Beetle Wedding Car (1969)

Six of these unusual Beetles were built for weddings in Mexico in the 1960s, each with a distinctive pattern to the wrought-iron coachwork. This one is named ‘Mary’.

Volkswagen Super Beetle Cabriolet (1979)

Part of Volkswagen Canada’s collection, this Super Beetle has just 154 miles on the clock. It was delivered new to Don Valley Motors in Ontario, Canada, in 1979. 

The Super Beetle had MacPherson strut front suspension and a wider front track, which combined to substantially increased luggage capacity.

Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Cabriolet (1955)

Dating from the year when the one-millionth Volkswagen left the production line, this 1955 cabriolet features an immaculate toolkit inside the spare wheel under the hood. 

The car retains its original engine and was fully restored in 2009. First sold in Chicago, it had spells in North Dakota and Colorado before winding up with current owner, Frank Espinoza, in Westminster, California.

Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Cabriolet RHD (1954)

It’s believed that just 25 of the 4,750 Beetles converted into soft-tops by Karmann in 1954 were right-hand drive. This is one of the five known survivors from that year and forms the basis of a resto-custom performance build featuring a large-capacity engine, lowered suspension and Porsche 911-sourced Fuchs alloy wheels.

Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Cabriolet Supercharged (1962)

A Judson supercharger sets this 1962 Pacific Blue Beetle apart from the crowd. It’s owned by Joe Alexander of Manhattan Beach, California. In total, more than 250,000 four-seat convertibles were made by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany.

Volkswagen Beetle (1963)

Finished in Panama Beige, this 1963 model has been mildly customized by its owner since 2010, Bill Alvarez Jr. It retains its standard 1.6-litre motor but has been lowered at the front, has had its bumpers replaced and has been fitted with EMPI BRM wheels.

Volkswagen-Beetle FMS 56 (1956)

FMS Automotive of Cerritos, California, built both this custom 1956 Beetle as well as a 2012 model for the 2012 SEMA Show. The ’56 roof and doors were combined with a 1970 floorpan and 1960 fenders into a bespoke, chopped, widebody shell. The car boasts a 2110cc motor and four-wheel disc brakes.

Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Cabriolet (1963)

This Ruby Red cabriolet has been in the same family since it was bought new in May 1963. The current owner, John Tanner of Valencia, California, bought it from his uncle Bob for US$19.88 in January 1988; by 1991, he’d had it fully restored.

Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition (2019)

Two of the available paint finishes on the Final Edition recall the beige and pale-blue schemes of the Última Edición, the runout models produced in Mexico when production of the classic Beetle ended in 2003.

“The loss of the Beetle after three generations, over nearly seven decades, will evoke a host of emotions from the Beetle’s many devoted fans,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “There are no immediate plans to replace it. But as we have seen with the I.D. Buzz – which is the modern and practical interpretation of the legendary Bus – I would also say, ‘Never say never.’”