It’s the beginning of the end for Volkswagen’s storied Beetle.
The third generation Beetle will end production in July but not before celebrating with a Final Edition Beetle, one of which is on display at this weekend’s Jacksonville International Auto Show.
The show runs Friday through Sunday at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
For VW fans it’s a bittersweet moment. Among them is Al Stewart. He’s a member of the ‘Swaggin 904’s VW club who owns a current generation Beetle.
“It’s the most recognizable car on the world," said Stewart. “Even now, you can be in a sea of 100 different brands, but you can still spot a Beetle.
While Volkswagen is saying goodbye to the Bug, it may not really be the end of the road.
The company is moving forward with at least one retro-inspired electric vehicle. Right now it’s showing off an electric dune buggy concept and it has confirmed it will build a modern reincarnation of the Microbus as an EV. The concept version is called the I.D. Buzz.
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Dune buggies roared on the scene in the 1960s when Bruce Meyers decided to customize a Beetle with a fiberglass body. He called it the Meyers Manx, and his kits are still sold to this day.
Tommy Langley owns one of them. He’s a member of the Buggies on the Beach club and has about $30,000 invested in his Meyers Manx dune buggy.
Both Langley and Stewart would like to see Volkswagen bring the Beetle back as an EV. And they might just get their wish.
“If we wanted to do a Beetle EV, it would be much better than today’s model, much closer to history, because it could be rear-wheel drive,” said Volkswagen chief Herbert Diess in an interview with Autocar.
While Volkswagen considers whether to bring back a classic shape in a new form, Ford has just done exactly that.
After dropping the U.S. version of the Ford Ranger in 2011, its reintroduced the nameplate for 2019, although its a bit bigger than the old Ranger. The new Ranger is among the vehicles on display at this weekend’s Jacksonville International Auto Show.
For fans of classic VWs — including Langley’s dune buggy — Sunday is the day to go. Several VW clubs from across the First Coast will be displaying everything from beach buggies and transporters to restored and customized Beetles.
More information about the Jacksonville International Auto Show is available here.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
