The Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Puebla, Mexico has just celebrated the retirement of the most loved Volkswagen ever produced, The Beetle.
Meanwhile the product marketers at BMW Mini are having a party to celebrate being the ONLY iconic brand and name plate on planet earth. Until now the Beetle and the Mini were the only 2 iconic car names that carried weight with classic car enthusiasts and retro car lovers. BMW resurrected the Mini brand with a range of modern Minis employing German powertrains and British design. The ‘magic’ worked for almost the whole range of Mini’s. Yes, there were a few variants that did not make the cut and were later discontinued but the Mini brand continues to reap high sales and brand success till today and will continue on tomorrow.
The brand puts an end to an icon of automotive history, even if the current model has moved a little away from its original ancestor imagined in Germany in the 30s when it began its career in 1938 as “people’s car” , with much propaganda at the dawn of the world conflict. The typical shape and architecture with a cantilever engine requested by Ferdinand Porsche went on to be produced until 2003, thanks to the South American market who continued to enjoy this little ultra reliable car.
Meanwhile a special series of just 65 numbered units of the last surviving Volkswagen Beetle will be sold exclusively on the Internet for USD21,000 which is about RM95,000 before local taxes and handling.
