After almost seven decades, Volkswagen will complete the production of the Beetle.
BY DERRICK VIKIRU
Insect science identifies at least 400,000 species of beetles, and of that number, there’s one from Volkswagen that’s facing extinction. Yes, after 81 years of building different forms of bugs, Volkswagen announced that it’s finally retiring the Beetle in 2019. Poor Beetle! The very lastborn of it rolled out of production in Mexico in July this year! *Sobs* how sad! And the poor thing will be heading to go on display at a nearby Volkswagen museum, to be another relic! Our kids will be visiting the museum and wonder “who did the Beetle piss off?”
While car models arrive and leave each year, few vehicles have travelled the long, strange road of the Beetle. This car harbours some true darkness in its German origins, but that did not stop it from embodying an accessible form of motorised transportation for Europe and places yonder. When Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor in 1933, he wanted to create a rugged, affordable automobile that would spread car ownership “to the people” throughout Germany. Fast forward in 1949, the production company of military vehicles rebranded and the Beetle, began production. Since its debut, over 21 million cars have been built spanning 65 years of production in factories located in six of the seven different continents.
Of all the transformation the Beetle has undergone, the 2013 model was my favourite. Comparing that to the 1968 model that my grandma owned, you can feel the touch of subtlety of the lastborn. It is like a macchiato but with a topping of whipped cream and refined sugar. But the refined girl has been having trouble finding a suitor lately despite her jaw dropping and mouth-watering looks. This is because, buying a Beetle isn’t something you do with your cerebral cortex, but the heart. And we all know that the heart is not so smart, you can’t always trust it. As a result, the numbers of those buying the Beetle for its design has taken a plunge because the Beetle isn’t really in style anymore. Coupes and Crossovers are taking over and that’s what’s up. Maybe that’s why VW is giving the girl a break, for good!
Will we miss the Beetle? I am hell damn sure I will, she has been an integral part of my growing up.
Derrick Vikiru is the Sub-editor Management Magazine. Email: dvikiru@kim.ac.ke
