THE Love Bug is dead. Volkswagen plans to drop the Beetle from its Australian line-up later this year because sales have slowed to a crawl. 
Deliveries had been cut by half each year since the latest model went on sale three years ago, after failing to repeat the success of the reborn Beetle in 2000. While the Beetle would continue to be sold overseas, a confidential bulletin to dealers in Australia said there would be one final batch locally.
Volkswagen said the final "Classic" edition of the Beetle would come with no options and be available only in one colour, yet to be announced.
Despite the addition of an engine with turbocharged and supercharged power in 2013, the latest Beetle, which costs from $35,000, had not been able to match the success of other "retro" cars designed to look like 1960s originals. Sales of the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 were about 10 times higher than the Beetle last year, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries figures showed.
The Beetle gained the name Herbie from the 1968 Walt Disney film The Love Bug. Car historian Ray Black said he was "sad but not surprised" by the news: "Volkswagen traded on the romance and the affection for the original, but it just wasn't as clever or as practical as the classic Beetle."