With production of the Volkswagen Beetle now at an end, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) recently held a celebratory party to commemorate the automotive symbol at Putrajaya, simply called the Beetle, An Iconic Gathering.
The event started early in the morning with a convoy of 138 Beetles parading through Kuala Lumpur before heading to Putrajaya, where they would meet up with hundreds more Beetles upon arrival.
Suffice to say, it was certainly quite a sight to see 405 Beetles gathered, from the air-cooled versions of the past, right on through to the modern ones we know today. Given the numerous personalisation possibilities that has long been associated with the Beetle, the gathering also served as an exhibition to showcase the personalities of each individual owner.
“It was an emotional moment for us to see the rows and rows of colourful air-cooled and water-cooled Beetle cars and I believe all those who were present today shared this sentiment,” said Erik Winter, managing director of VPCM.
“This is a car that has united people across all walks of life, and they all gathered in Putrajaya over one common passion – the Beetle. The sense of kinship was apparent everywhere, and we are grateful to all owners, and especially to our Beetle car clubs and classic Volkswagen communities for making the event a success,” he added.
During the event, Siti Aishah Ismail’s Instagram posting of her Bug garnered the most “likes” from the public to take home the “Most Liked Car” title. However, given the number of cars on show, it was also a tall order for the appointed judges to pick out their personal favourites to be awarded “Best in Show.”
In the end, Fairul Irwan, Raja Gopal and Thavanesan A/L Selvaratnam walked away with the prizes, as they impressed the judges not just with their vehicles, but also with their showmanship and stories they’ve had in the time they’ve owned their respective Beetles.
The day also saw attendees enjoying performances by local acts, the services of popular food trucks, shopping at the Beetle car boot sales, test driving other popular Volkswagen models, and other fun activities. Of course, there’s also the experience of meeting with passionate Beetle fans, and trading a tale or two.
Also present was the Beetle Collector’s Edition, where only 75 units will be offered, each with an official certificate of ownership. Priced at RM164,390, the unique Beetle comes with a number of accessories worth RM12,000, including a rear spoiler, chrome exhaust tips and aluminium sports pedals, among other items.
After more than eight decades and over 21 million units sold, we finally say “Auf Wiedersehen” to the Käfer, and thank you for all the memories. Enjoy the photo gallery.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
When VW Beetle supply becomes tight, price escalation occured. This is Scarcity pricing.
Yes Capt. Obvious.
We will soon bid farewell to all Protons too once the entire fleet of Geely start selling in MAlaysia
There goes 30 years of automotive history!
Then remove all the Mitsubishi derived Saga, Saga Aeroback, Iswara, Wira, Wira Aeroback, Satria, Satria GTi, Putra, Perdana V6, Juara & the Citroen derived Tiara. First indigenous designed was the Waja back in 2000.
Hence, your history should rightly start from 2000 making it only 19 years. This 19 years was a total failure with massive losses but guess they win big in the village hero ego department. Bailouts after bailouts just prolonged this situation. But never mind, it’s only the tax payers money. As long as my ego is maintained, semua nya OK. Kan kan?