After building a cult following for more than 70 years, the Volkswagen Beetle is set to take its last ride next year.
On Thursday, VW's American unit announced global production of their quirky Beetle, which is currently in its third generation, would end next July.
The very first Beetle rolled off an assembly line in Nazi Germany in 1938, but the bug didn't land in America until 1949.
Over the years, the punchbuggy has reinvented its image a number of times, appealing to everyone from beach bums and car aficionados to hippies and student drivers.
But this isn't the first time VW waved goodbye to their weirdest model.
The Beetle also went on hiatus between 1979 and 1998, when VW debuted their "New Beetle." The bug was given a makeover again in 2012, but sales of the classic car have slowly shrunk every year since then.
Last year, VW reportedly sold less than 9,000 bugs, according to Autodata Corp.
As a farewell to the car, VW will release a pair of limited-edition models, the Final Edition SE and SEL.
This is definitely the end of an era, but VW is hinting that the Beetle may fly again, someday.
"I would say "˜never say never,'" VW of America's CEO Hinrich Woebcken said.
And while the bug may be squashed (for now) another groovy VW model is due for a comeback.
The classic VW Bus will return as an electric model called the I.D. Buzz in 2022.
[H/T: Global News]
