What's here ?

This is the online home of the Last Edition Beetle Register - a group of owners and enthusiasts of the last 300 Volkswagen Beetles built for the United Kingdom. We've been providing information on these vehicles since the early 1990s, and trying to keep track of as many of them as possible. Since we've had this website as a focal point, it's all become a lot easier and much more fun, as we now have somewhere to show off our cars and share information. We also organise occasional get-togethers for members at VW club meetings around the UK. See our Facebook page for details of our current plans.

What's not here ?

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was only one kind of Last Edition Beetle - the German '78 model that we celebrate on this website. Unfortunately, in 2003 VW confused matters with the announcement of a whole new batch of 3000 'Last Edition' bugs, to mark the end of production in Puebla, Mexico (the last factory producing the cars anywhere in the world). In fairness, the final Mexican Beetles were actually given the Spanish name 'Última Edición'. This has been anglicised variously as 'Final Edition' and 'Ultimate Edition'. However, the translation that's stuck is 'Last Edition', so we've inevitably found many seekers of information on the Mexican cars beating a path to our door.

A spotter's guide to the Last Edition Beetle

Q. How can I tell if I'm looking at a Last Edition Beetle ?

A. If the Beetle in question is the 1978 model (most have an S or T registration suffix), is the 1200cc flat-windscreen type, and was originally finished in silver metallic paint, then you're probably looking at a Last Edition Beetle. If you're really lucky, you may see a commemorative plaque on the dashboard, but don't count on it ! You can find more details on the History page of this website.

Q. Is this the same as a Jubilee Beetle / Silver Bug / Last Series Beetle etc, etc, etc ?

A. Nope. There are plenty of other 'special' Beetles with confusingly similar edition names. Have a look at Colin Shinkin's excellent Special Edition Beetle site, which should help to clear the mists of confusion.