The VW Beetle Might Soon Be Dead

Volkswagen Super Beetle (Credit: Volkswagen)

According to a recent report in Der Spiegel, a German magazine, Volkswagen is seriously considering killing off the Beetle. Even though the car is an automotive icon, times are tough for coupes as modern consumers favor more utilitarian vehicles.

Even though it was derided by many for its “cute” nature, the New Beetle was far more successful than the current generation. Last year, only 94,214 Beetles were purchased, which was 22 percent fewer than in 2013. In fact, all VW models with two doors made up only 5 percent of sales in 2014, according to Road & Track, which is a pathetic amount. Volkswagen is striving desperately to clinch the title of the largest automaker in the world, and it has some stiff competition from Toyota, which long ago made the daring move to ditch the Solara.

The Beetle has been a mainstay in the auto industry for decades. Games involving punching other people in the arm were invented just for the car. It has provided cheap, quirky transportation for students and others. One does not merely kill off such an iconic model without anyone noticing.

At the same time, if the Beetle is dragging down VW, what can it do? Add four doors? Create some monster turbocharged version with all-wheel drive and hope enthusiasts look past its image issues? Volkswagen’s in a tight spot, thanks to everyone else not buying the Beetle.

If VW decides that the Beetle should be sent to that glorious garage in the sky, it would happen at the end of the current generation. It would join the Eos, Volkswagen’s hardtop convertible, which is going end of life soon. The Scirocco is also reportedly on the chopping block, although its fate still is uncertain. The coupe version of the Polo might also go the way of the dodo. Reportedly, the only reason why a two-door version of the Golf still exists is the fact that some consumers demand the GTI with two doors instead of four.