Mexican car aficionado, who owns 40 Volkswagen Beetles, receives one of 65 exclusive final edition of cars that were only sold through Amazon in Mexico as production ends after 80 years
- Joaquín Jasso purchased two months ago one of 65 Beetle Final Edition cars before German automaker Volkswagen
- Volkswagen sold 65 of the last 565 Beetle Final Edition models built at the company’s Puebla, Mexico, assembly parts line
- The Mexican man has been working in the construction business for 44 years and owns 40 VW Bugs
- Jasso paid $410,065 Mexican pesos, almost $21,000, for his new toy
- Two models of the Final Edition were made available to the public, a SE coupe at $23,000 and the SEL convertible which fetched $30,000
- The Beetle debuted in 1938 and was an idea of Adolf Hitler, who sought to spur car ownership in Germany the way the American Ford Model T did in the U.S.
- The Beetle was only being produced at the company’s Puebla, Mexico before its assembly came to an end in July
A Mexican car aficionado could not pass up on the opportunity of purchasing one of a limited edition Volkswagen Beetle after the German automaker’s bittersweet decision of terminating its production last month.
Within a matter of minutes, Joaquín Jasso landed one of the 65 Beetle Final Edition models that were exclusively sold through Amazon.
It took two months for the longtime construction worker – who has put in 44 years – to meet his new toy, which was delivered on August 15 to the front of his home in La Florida, a neighborhood in the municipality of Naucalpan de Juárez, located northwest of Mexico City.
However, just like with the delivery of any item ordered through an online merchant, there was a minor hiccup with its shipment when the flatbed truck transporting Jasso’s new vehicle was briefly detained by traffic police officers, according to Mexican outlet Expansión.
Joaquín Jasso stands next to the large box that was delivered to his home on August 15 containing one of 65 Beetle Limited Edition cars that were sold exclusively on Amazon
Volkswagen sold 65 of the last 565 Beetle Final Edition models built at the company’s Puebla, Mexico, assembly parts line through a special promotion with Amazon
When the delivery driver finally arrived, Jasso marveled at the sight of his prized possession which was enclosed in a jumbo Amazon brown cardboard box. His beige Beetle Final Edition became the latest member of a fleet of 40 Beetles that he owns.
‘What I have always looked for is to seek special editions, editions that are not common and impeccable cars, Jasso said. ‘If you could review the entire collection that I have, each of the cars has less than 60,000 miles, many have up to 12,000 miles.’
Jasso’s love for a vehicle that has eclipsed three generations dates back 18 years when his eyes got glued to a limited edition Beetle, whose seats were covered in denim. He bought one of those, too.
His collection of Beetles comes in white, blue, and black. But a beige colorway was missing among his long list of cars and for a moment the Beetle Final Edition was sold out in that color, too, until a company salesperson helped him track one down.
‘A new car is always a great feeling and what’s better than this car in the conditions I bought it, how easy it was to buy it,’ Jasso said.
‘To have it now in my hands after waiting so long because I already wanted to have it, and now I have it and I am very happy. The truth is that my car is really cool.’
Workers at the VW plant in Puebla, Mexico, celebrate the end of the Beetle’s production during a ceremony in July
The car’s original design – a rounded silhouette with seating for four or five, a nearly vertical windshield, and an air-cooled engine in the rear – can be traced back to Ferdinand Porsche.
The Austrian engineer was handpicked by Adolf Hitler to fulfill his project for a ‘people’s car’ that would spread auto ownership the way the Ford Model T had in the United States.
It debuted in 1938 before bombs were dropped in World War II, wiping out the manufacturing plant in Wolfsburg, Germany.
After the war, British Army Major Ivan Hirst was asked with kickstarting the automaker back into production. One day he spotted a Bettle that survived the massive airstrikes at the facility.
The rest was history as it instantly became a favorite for the American auto consumer before it picked up steam among Mexican car fans.
The VW factory in Puebla, southeast of Mexico City, had long been the only plant in the world still manufacturing classic Beetles and more recently became the only one left making modern ones until it was closed down in July.
German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (standing behind the podium) was an Austrian engineer to build the Beetle and spread auto ownership the way the American Ford Model T did. The Beetle was introduced in 1938 shortly before World War II
Automobile Museum in Puebla, Mexico
Visit this outstanding automobile museum in Puebla, where you will find cars that left their mark in history, cars that represent society’s tastes in road vehicles in different periods of the 20th century, and also cars exemplifying the transitions of the automobile’s evolution.
This museum which was set up by a local classic car club is now extended.
It does not include a new space, which has three permanent rooms in which various iconic cars of the Volkswagen and Audi brands are exhibited, which are an important part of the history of the Automotive Industry in Puebla.
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