One of the world’s most beloved cars

Production of the famous Volkswagen Beetle is finally ending. The curvy compact car got its start in Nazi Germany, played a role in the economic resurgence of Germany after World War II, and became a worldwide icon.

Ferdinand Porsche presents a new convertible version of the KdF-Wagen to Nazi ájoy." Designed to be affordable and easy to operate for ordinary Germans, it was more popularly known as the "people's car," or "Volkswagen."

Very few Volkswagens were actually produced for German citizens during World War II. Instead, the factory that had been built to make Volkswagens was used to produce military vehicles. After the war, though, the factory was restarted by the British military and production of Volkswagen cars began. By 1949, it was even exporting them. By 1955, more than one million Volkswagen cars had been produced. (“Beetle” didn’t become the car’s official name until the late 1960s.) It would go on to become, at least for a time, the best-selling car in the world.

Female gas station employees on rollerskates attend to a Volkswagen in Deidesheim, Germany, in 1954. The original Beetle's engine was in the back, leaving the area under the hood for cargo and the spare tire. By the 1960s, Beetles could be found across the globe and they were being used for a variety of purposes. Many cities even used them as police cars.

Other cars were considered, but a Beetle was cast in the starring role of the 1968 Disney movie "The Love Bug." The film helped cement the car's popular image as a lovable automotive companion. The Beetle, along with the Volkswagen bus, went on to become synonymous with the hippie movement in the 1960s and ‘70s. Here, a couple of attendees at the 1969 Woodstock music festival take a nap on a Beetle.

A 1938 model of an early VW Beetle is on display at Christie's London headquarters. The model was bought for just over $65,000 in 1996.

The Beetle's simple and instantly recognizable design has made it a frequent basis for automotive art. This Beetle, being driven in a parade in New York City in 1970, has a body made from decorative white wrought iron.

In 1997, Volkswagen unveiled the New Beetle. This car carried the Beetle's iconic curved shape but it was an entirely different car. Sharing most of its engineering with the popular Volkswagen Golf, the engine was moved to the front like most other cars by this time.

In 1997, Volkswagen unveiled the New Beetle. This car carried the Beetle's iconic curved shape but it was an entirely different car. Sharing most of its engineering with the popular Volkswagen Golf, the engine was moved to the front like most other cars by this time.