VW Beetle gets special colors for latest farewell

It's the end of an era — again.

The latest Final Edition of the iconic Volkswagen Beetle will have special colors, badging and wheels as the Bug drives into the sunset next year, just as it did 15 years ago.

The current generation of the Beetle, one of the last convertible coupes still being manufactured, debuted in 2011 for the 2012 model year. VW will end production of the slow-selling Bug — in hard-top and soft-top form — in July in Puebla, Mexico.

Volkswagen sold 15,166 Beetles in the U.S. in 2017. Sales have fallen 5.8 percent this year through November, to 13,494.

But before it goes away, the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition (or Ultima Edicion) will rip a page from the North American Beetle's previous Final Edition in 2003 by copying its final two colors, now called Safari Uni and Stonewashed Blue. The 2019 edition will feature standard chrome treatments and body-color side mirrors, special wheel packages, and a rear Beetle badge to replace the Turbo badge on the tailgate.

Special seating and a sunroof are standard. Pricing on the Final Edition SE begins at $23,940 including shipping, while pricing for the convertible Beetle Final Edition SE begins at $28,190.