Bug fans around the globe can be forgiven today for grabbing a Kleenex and sobbing quietly in recognition of the fact that it was precisely ten years ago that the very last Beetle rolled off the Puebla production line.

To the sound of a Mexican folksong lamenting the sad departure of a much loved friend, the 21,529,464th Beetle left the Mexican factory on July 30th 2003, destined for its final resting place at VW’s historic museum in Wolfsburg.

Meanwhile, the other 2,999 Última Edición models went to collectors, although word has it that a bunch of Mexican VW dealers clubbed together and bought one for Pope John Paul II though when we tried to contact the Vatican to enquire as to its whereabouts we drew a bit of a blank.

The batch of special edition Última Edicións started production in June that year and were available in either Aquarius Blue with Franell Grey interior or Harvest Moon Beige with Black interior, along with a raft of classic goodies including white wall tyres, extra chrome and a special commemorative plaque on the glovebox lid.

Approximately 200-300 examples made their way to the UK, including the car you see here belonging to Brian Lowe from Buckinghamshire. Having owned all manner of Golfs and Beetles, including currently a white US spec air-cooled cabriolet, when Brian spotted the Beetles (UK) advert in Safer Motoring he knew he just had to have one of these historic last edition models.

“I put down a deposit ages in advance and finally drove to Bristol to collect it in November 2003 – I remember the trip because the weather was atrocious. In fact, some of the chrome was already beginning to rust – and even the wing mirror on my car was pitted. The asking price was £10,000 and the importers were offering to convert to right-hand drive for an additional £1,000 but I wanted to keep it totally original LHD,” confirmed Brian. He also opted for no underseal, preferring instead shiny blue Aquarius Blue paintwork underneath.

Ten years on, and with just 300km on the clock, unsurprisingly Brian’s totally pristine Última Edición spends more time in the garage than it does on the road – and this seems to be a common theme with owners. “To be honest I only take it out once a year just to make sure everything works and although it’s a lovely car to drive, I wouldn’t want to use it every day. I doubt if many get regular use.”

What Brian has done though is build up a fascinating collection of Última Edición memorabilia – including mugs, T-shirts and even some of the original advertising material. “Apparently there were limited edition sunglasses made, but I think they were only available to factory workers,” smiles Brian.

As for value, due to its rarity we can only imagine he’s got himself something of an appreciating asset. “I bought it first and foremost because I love Beetles but thought it might also end up being a good investment. It’s difficult to get an accurate gauge on what it’s worth, but I guess it’s gone up by a couple of thousand since I bought it – I’ve only seen one or two on eBay and those have had much higher mileages.” Not that Brian has any intention of selling it – and who can blame him?