After more than six decades, production of the Volkswagen Kombi will come to an end later this year with a special edition of the iconic van.
Volkswagen has announced plans for a 600-unit run of the ‘Last Edition Kombi’ that will officially conclude production of the distinctive Type 2 that launched in Germany in 1950.
The special edition will roll off the assembly line at Volkswagen’s plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil – the only site that still produces the Kombi – with pricing for the collector’s item to start from US$38,000 ($41,600).
The Brazilian plant has been building the Kombi continuously since 1957, and exporting to countries like Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela since 1970.
In a statement, Volkswagen claims the Kombi boasts the “longest longevity in the car industry”, with the van now in its 64th year of production.
The end of production has been enforced by new safety regulations that come into effect in Brazil on January 1, 2014, which require all new vehicles to feature anti-lock brakes and at least two airbags.
