I was in Atlanta on business today with a buddy of mine who had never seen the Dr.'s fish tank so we stopped by so he could take a look. He had two cars that seemed strange, maybe you guys can educate me. He had one each 1998 and 2001 old style bugs for sale. These were the new "old" bugs they make/sell in Mexico. Even the sticker on the window was in Spanish indicating that the vehicles get 14 k. per L. The 2001 even had air conditioning. I did not know you could import and sell the new "old" bugs. One was Red, the other Black and they looked perfect. It would be a blast to have one.

I read that the plant hs just shut down and no more will be made. they list for about 6k in Mexico

2 years ago there was a guy in Cinci that was selling a 99 old/new bug.
I think it would be a good buy, not sure how the whole registration thing would go.

Won't pass CA smog.....

yep. plant is closing this year....making 'last edition' beetles. (w. coker whitewall tires! ) wont pass smog, and why would you want a new old beetle? oh and on a sorta related note, my uncle picked up a 2001 OLD mini. it has air, airbags,abs, etc in the old style body! he paid 15k for it (he restores em)

Maybe for the same reason I have a 914...so people will point and giggle

If memory serves, I read the article last week. They are only making 3000 of the last year as a special edition.

The company will stop producing the classic old Beetles on July 30 at its plant in the central Mexican city of Puebla, the only factory in the world still making the "Bug".

With more than 21 million units sold, Volkswagen boasts the Beetle is the most popular car ever made but it has succumbed in recent years to cheaper rivals from Nissan and Chevrolet.


To commemorate the car's demise, Volkswagen is producing 3,000 special edition Beetles for sale only in Mexico.
The limited edition comes in either beige or powder blue and is adorned with whitewall tires, a CD player with four speakers plus chrome bumpers and other finishes. At 84,000 pesos, it costs about $1,300 (795 pounds) more than the typical old-style Beetle.


bruce

I thought it wasn't legal to sell the "new old Beetle" in the U.S. because it doesn't meet current safety and emission standards. I remember reading that what you could do was to find an old Beetle chassis and then transfer all of the parts from the new one over to the old and that would be legal.

Alfred

I'm sure they can hook you up with one of the last ones to roll off the line; just contact Beetlemex, Inc. in AZ.

Wow, I guess they are legal for sale in the U.S. Pretty cool!

Alfred

would be nice to get one of the last ones produced. Too bad they stopped producing the Gia.

Mike,
What about any 914 stuff?
Did you see the 916?

Paul

I thought they put an older vin # on the car. ie they cut out a vin # from a earlier US spec car and welded it into the floor pan and did the windshield tag. At least that is what a shop in Tucson was doing. But it has to be done in Mexico. Then it just becomes a restored vehicle and not a new one. It only has to meet the emission and safety of whatever year vin they use. And it has all the paper and registration from the US when it crosses the border. I know trying to bring them in with a MEX vin is a sure way to lose your car.

Oh yeah, saw the 916. My nose prints are permenantly embedded in the glass that separates me from that object of lust. He has some really cool stuff and a bunch of absolute shit. If you have never been there, the place is a dump in a bad part of town. He has an assortment of mostly crappy old sports cars from various manufacturers out front and a side lot where he sells just plain used cars, trucks, whatever. The building is mostly painted white and looks like it has not been painted in about 20 years. All the cars on display are filthy. Pete, the Dr.'s brother, has gotten into the old 356's and there are a few of those there that are really nice. The 916 and all the 914-6's they have are locked in a plexiglass booth about 6 cars wide and the exact depth of one car. They are all facing front and they are separated by only a few inches each. You cannot see much. I wish a couple of them were pulled in forward so you could see the back of the cars.

Cool place to visit, but like my first visit there some years ago, my buddy was suprised by how trashy the place is.

If you are ever in Atlanta and have some spare time, there is a place just off 285 in the Dunwoody area called Performance Imports. He is an old greek guy that has a Porsche race team that runs at Atlanta and at Barber among other places. His shop always has 6-8 914's sitting around along with countless other Porsche's. Nice guy to talk to.

BTW, on the way over to Atlanta, I passed a 914 on a truck heading back the other way and when returning to Birmingham, I saw another one driving East on I-20. Pretty unusual to see two in the same day plus all the other ones I saw at AA and Performance Imports.