It’s the end of an automotive era, as Volkswagen announced Thursday that it will squash production of its iconic Beetle next summer.
Time to remember the bug that carried millions of Americans, starred in its own series of movies and photographed like a dream.
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Hugo Jaeger via Getty ImagesThe car was first imagined in 1933. Adolf Hitler commissioned famed automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche to design a “people’s car” ― or “volks wagen" ― that could hold two adults, two kids and their luggage and reach a top speed of 62 mph, according to VWHeritage.com.
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James Whitmore via Getty ImagesAn innovative series of ads for the Beetle turned aspects of the vehicle that consumers perceived to be weaknesses ― like its small, weird shape ― into strengths (ease of repair, economical gas mileage), according to Medium.com contributor Mark Hamilton.
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Mirrorpix via Getty ImagesThe Beetle became a hot car with hippies in the late 1960s and 70s, but sales declined in the U.S. by 1979, according to CBS News.
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Ted Spiegel via Getty ImagesStill, a vintage bug from the 1950s can sell for as much $65,000 while models with a split window on the back can go for $75,000, according to CBS Sunday Morning.
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