As consumers turn to crossovers and SUVs, the sale of smaller cars has declined. Sadly, this trend has led Volkswagen to discontinue the iconic Beetle.

Hinrich Woebcken, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America, stated:

The loss of the Beetle after three generations, over nearly seven decades, will evoke a host of emotions from the Beetle’s many devoted fans.

The company said that in recent years, consumers looking for a smaller Volkswagen are choosing the Jetta or the Tiguan over the Beetle. As a result of the decreased Beetle sales, they’re decided to focus on family and electric cars.

The Beetle was both a cultural and advertising icon. With their dry and often self-deprecating humor, ads for the Beetle painted the car as an economic and responsible choice.

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With one iconic ad, they even brought “Lemon” into the lexicon as a term for a defective vehicle.

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Not only did they have creative print ads, but they also excelled at television ads as well. In this humorous commercial, a billionaire leaves his wealth to his economical, Bug-driving nephew.

It is sad to think that Volkswagen will be rolling out the last of the Beetle models early next year, but the discontinuation will likely only make the Beetle more iconic. Additionally, it’s not impossible that Volkswagen will resurrect the model in the future: “Never say never,” said Woebcken.