Apparently Volkswagen is going to squash the bug... yet again. Volkswagen announced Thursday that it will stop production of the Beetle by July 2019.
Of course they are going to be release a "Final Edition" of the car before then, so all you bug lovers can get your fix. VW has blamed the discontinuation on its slumping sales numbers and an overall higher demand for SUV's and crossovers (Yuck).
Those of us who know our VW history may note that this isn't the first time the beetle has been discontinued. Back in 1979 they replaced the Beetle (in the North American markets) with the VW Rabbit. Then, some years later, in 1997, they relaunched the bug as the "New Beetle." VW again ended production of the New Beetle in 2003, but brought the car back in 2011 with the revised face lift (should we have called it the New New Beetle?). So now, once again, we see the departure of the Beetle, for how long, who knows. But Retro-minded customers needn't worry as Volkswagen is developing the ID Buzz, an electric car based on the now highly sought after Volkswagen bus. And, it is possible, somewhere down the road, the Beetle will rise again, but Volkswagen officials say it that won’t be anytime soon.