Beetle set to roar off stage

New York – Volkswagen announced it would end production of its iconic “Beetle” cars in 2019 after adding a pair of final editions of the bug-shaped vehicles.

The curvy-topped sedans, which shook off Nazi origins to become a global phenomenon with hundreds of thousands of fans, are being sidelined as Volkswagen emphasises electric cars and larger family vehicles.

But company officials, still trying to completely turn the page after 2015’s costly “dieselgate” scandal, opened the door to reviving the model at some point, alluding to the company’s 2017 decision to unveil a revamped Volkswagen Bus as a possible template.

“I would say, never say never,” Hinrich Woebcken, chief executive of the US group said. –