Curbside Find: 2003 Volkswagen Sedan (Type 1) – Finally Final Edition

This month, chez T87, will be dedicated to the 21st Century. Stretching the “classic” part of CC a wee bit, but I’m sure there are a few modern cars that warrant an honourable mention on this website. Today’s entry, though less than 25 years old, has earned classic status. We’re not looking at a modern car in any sense of the word. But as Beetles go, it’s as new as they get. Quite the historical artifact to find curbside.

Air-cooled Beetles are popular everywhere and were manufactured in many countries. The last place where VW made their foundational vehicle turned out to be Mexico, where the little bug became a fixture of daily life thanks to its widespread use as a taxi – a job for which it was exceptionally ill-suited in many ways.

Nobody rode in the back seat of a Beetle if they could possibly help it. In Mexico, however, you paid for that privilege. Yes, the taxi version always omitted the front passenger seat, but still. Thanks in large part to fleet sales, VW were happily selling 30-40k units of their invincible Beetle every year. But in 2001, the Mexican government announced tighter emissions regulations – Mexico City’s air was dangerously polluted. And in 2002, the mayor of the Distrito Federal decreed that taxis were to have rear doors. The Beetle was being forced into retirement.

Hardly early retirement, to be fair. But with sales down to 10k in 2002, the old Sedán, as it was officially (vee-)dubbed in its final North American redoubt, was no longer viable – for the first time in 65 years. VW’s pressing question now was: How do you say goodbye to the most-produced model in automotive history? With a swanky Última Edición, of course.

Announced in June, the final special series was to be limited to the last 3000 units, built until 30 July 2003. Aside from the usual fuel-injected 1.6 litre 44hp flat-4, the Última Edición featured a number of cosmetic improvements over the standard Sedan, including carpeting everywhere – i.e. the cabin and the frunk, extra sound insulation, 15-inch whitewall radials, radio/CD-player with four speakers, chrome trim galore (door handles, taillight surrounds, body moulding, wheel covers, mirrors, etc.), colour-keyed dash and your choice of two colours: Harvest Moon beige with black cloth interior, or Aquarius blue with grey upholstery.

Our CC is the latter, with all the bells and whistles. The owner ditched the (pig-ugly) stock steering wheel in favour of a classic ‘60s item, but aside from that and locally-mandated turn signal repeaters, this young Beetle looks like it just came off the line at Puebla. But now it’s half a world away, parked on the “wrong” side of the street and being photobombed by a Mitsuoka Viewt.

It was apparently mighty difficult to get one of these last-ever Beetles, as they sold extremely quickly – probably only to be re-sold almost immediately to the highest bidder on the global market. I’m sure VW could have milked this a lot more than they did with a sort of never-ending farewell tour. Like the Rolling Stones, Elton John or Bob Dylan, but with bugs. Yes, that is an appalling thought. On reflection, VW took the right decision.

 

Related post:

 

Car Show Classic: 2003 VW Type 1 Beetle: Last of the Mohicans, by Heath