Saying goodbye to the Volkswagen Beetle
![](https://blog.openroadautogroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2019_Beetle_Final_Edition_Malibu_Drive-Small-9154-1-1200x782.jpg)
![2019 volkswagen beetle and type 1](https://orblogstg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2019_Beetle_Final_Edition_Malibu_Drive-Small-9154_0.jpg)
It’s hard to believe, but 2019 marks the last year of sales for the famed Volkswagen Beetle. In this blog post we take a quick peek through its 80-year history, as well as at the final official model to roll off the assembly line.
![original air cooled volkswagen beetle](https://orblogstg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/gray-volkswagen-beetle-parking-near-bushes-surrounded-with-3038291-scaled.jpg)
Humble beginnings
Introduced in Germany in 1938, the original rear engine, air-cooled VW Bug was designed by Ferdinand Porsche who gave the model the immediately recognizable happy-looking front fascia and rounded body. Production stopped for a few years due to WWII breaking out, but operations eventually resumed and the car eventually found its way to North America in 1950.
![herbie love bug](https://orblogstg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/StockSnap_NVXNWX6NQ2-scaled.jpg)
The Love Bug
Popularity of the Beetle soared during the 60s thanks to a growing small automobile movement and the release of Disney’s The Love Bug, a movie about an anthropomorphic Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie. The franchise would go on to spawn four additional films.
![black volkswagen new beetle](https://orblogstg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/haythem-gataa-3pZXv9vOePM-unsplash-scaled.jpg)
Volkswagen New Beetle
The vehicle received a total redesign for the modern era in 1998, keeping a curvy shape but offering all the creature comforts of a Mark IV Golf upon which it was based. With the motor now at the front, two powertrains were initially available: a 2.0-litre gasoline and 1.9-litre turbo diesel.
![2012 volkswagen beetle](https://orblogstg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2012_Beetle-Small-3229.jpg)
A5 Beetle
The third, and final, rendition of the Beetle appeared in 2011. The car emerged bigger both inside and out, with a flattened roof for a more performance-oriented appearance. A turbocharged mill mated to an initially optional six-speed manual transmission made for a pretty fun combination.
![2019 volkswagen beetle final edition wheel](https://orblogstg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2019_Beetle_Final_Edition_Malibu_Drive-Small-9157.jpg)
2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition
The Final (Wolfsburg) Edition is the swan song for the Bug, featuring one of the most impressive equipment packages to date. For example a 174-horsepower 2.0-litre TSI engine, bi-xenon headlights, LED taillights, special retro 18-inch alloy wheels and a 6.3-inch touchscreen display powered by the MIB II infotainment system.
Browse all the trims of the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle here.