The end of an Iconic Era

When the last few Volkswagen Beetles go off the production line in Mexico we lose one of the iconic brands of automobile ever made in our recent history. It still claims to be the best selling vehicle built on a single platform.

One would have imagined that it had a historic flaw since the car was first commissioned by none other than Adolf Hitler in his pursuit of having a people's car ( a bit like our vision of a people's car which took the shape of a Maruti 800 in the early 80s. ) Fortunately the Beetle outlived the Third Reich.

Volkswagen Group of America's CEO, Hinrich Woebcken, admitted that “The loss of the Beetle after three generations, over nearly seven decades, will evoke a host of emotions from the Beetle’s many devoted fans."

He continued: “As we move to being a full-line, family-focused auto maker in the US and ramp up our electrification strategy with the MEB platform, there are no immediate plans to replace it".

For some reason the Beetle caught the imagination of a whole generation when it was launched in the US in the 60s. It wasn't a fantastic car, and yet it attracted a whole tribe to it. The car engine at the back purring away at the back was one of its unique features. When the new models of the car were launched in this century with the engine in the front, it lost some of its magic.

The car also got immortalised by Walt Disney films where it earned the nickname of Herbie and appeared in several films.

Launched at a time when the extra large American was popular, its small size actually became its biggest differentiator. It encourages customisation even before marketing folks knew what the term meant. People played around with the car to give it their own unique touches. Obviously, the Beetle was encouraged by " flower power " and the hippie culture in the 60s. As a result you saw people having fun with their cars trying to make them look different.

Beetle clubs sprang all over the world in every major city. Beetle owners saw themselves as unique and like Harley riders, organised long weekend trips.

The car was so inspiring that it also created one of the most iconic advertising campaigns in the history of advertising. Entrusted to BBDO where none other than Bill Bernach wrote the ads, and art directed by Helmut Krone the advertising created a stir and the campaign is celebrated by every history book on advertising.

The Beetle represented the counter culture that started out in the 60s, and became the most loved car of the Woodstock generation at a time when Americans were driving large gas-guzzling American cars.

Much has been written about the Beetle including a book published by Harvard. In many ways it is more than just a car. It defines a cultural thread that ran through many generations in the 20 Century spilling over to the 21st century.