21,529,464. And Then, No More.

It was, of course, never really named "Beetle". Volkswagen "Type 1" was its official designation. Whatever you chose to call it though, this car changed the world.

The Beetle was made in enormous numbers for 65 years, in plants all over the world. More than 21 million of them rolled off assembly lines and right into people's hearts. They carried folks of all walks of life to work and play, and millions are still on the road.

From the Beetle's shadowy beginnings as Hitler's "People's Car" to it's adoption as the unofficial car of the hippie generation and beyond, you could always count on the fact that they were making these cute round little "Bugs" somewhere in the world. That all ended on July 30th 2003, as the last one (dressed in in Aquarius Blue with wide whitewalls) rolled off the line at the Puebla, Mexico plant, accompanied by a mariachi band and a somber mood.

It is difficult to imagine the impact this little rear-engined car has had on cultures across the world since it first appeared. I think VW's own final ad for the car said it best:

"It's incredible that a car this small leaves such a large void".