“In the United States… sales of the Beetle began to plummet after 1973”
By 1977, the Volkswagen Beetle was seen as an antiquated automobile by many. Hardly surprising really as it had been in production for almost 40 years by then. Even Volkswagen showed little interest in promoting the model that had launched the company, preferring to concentrate on another equally successful compact car, the Golf (itself now approaching an almost unbelievable 50 years in production).
The decision made to finally call a halt to European production, workers at the manufacturer’s plant in Emden, Germany screwed the last Beetle saloon together on an otherwise normal day in January 1978. That wasn’t the end of the story, though, as even German VW dealerships would soon be offering a replacement, but this time built in Mexico’s Puebla factory. That last hurrah did little to help Beetle sales, though, which remained marginal at best in Germany.
In the United States, the situation was different.
Sales of the Beetle began to plummet dramatically after 1973, largely due to fierce
