Journalism of Courage
Volkswagen is halting production of the last version of its Beetle model in July 2019 at its plant in Puebla, Mexico, the end of the road for a vehicle that has symbolized many things over a history spanning eight decades since 1938. (AP)
In this May 26, 1938 file photo, German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler speaks at a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for the Volkswagen car factory in Fallersleben, Lower Saxony, Germany. (AP)
The car's original design — a rounded silhouette with seating for four or five, nearly vertical windshield and the air-cooled engine in the rear — can be traced back to Austrian engineer Ferdinand Porsche, who was hired to fulfill Adolf Hitler's project for a "people's car". (AP)
Re-launched as a civilian carmaker under supervision of the British occupation authorities, the Volkswagen factory was transferred in 1949 to the Germany government and the state of Lower Saxony, which still owns part of the company. (AP)
Production at Wolfsburg ended in 1978 as newer front drive models like the Golf took over. But the Beetle wasn't dead yet. Production went on in Mexico from 1967 until 2003 — longer than the car had been made in Germany. (AP)
The New Beetle — a completely retro version build on a modified Golf platform — resurrected some of the old Beetle's cute, unconventional aura in 1998 under CEO Ferdinand Piech, Ferdinand Porsche's grandson. In 2012, the Beetle's design was made a bit sleeker. (AP)
The end of the Beetle comes at a turning point for Volkswagen as it rebounds from a scandal over cars rigged to cheat on diesel emissions tests. (AP)
The company is gearing up for mass production of the battery-driven compact ID.3, a car that the company predicts will have an impact like that of the Beetle and the Golf by bringing electric mobility to a mass market. In pic: Collection of VW beetles car toys seen on Volkswagen Beetle displayed during the annual gathering of the "Beetle Club" in Yakum, central Israel. (AP)
The modern version of the iconic Volkswagen model is set to cease production on Wednesday, but in Cuautepec on the outskirts of Mexico City residents still rely on the no-frills original compact cars, praising them for their affordability, reparability and ability to handle the area's steep streets. (AP)
The last of 5,961 Final Edition versions of the Beetle is headed for a museum after ceremonies in Puebla on July 10 to mark the end of production. (AP)
