Volkswagen Beetle, better known in the English-speaking world as the VW "Bug", was produced in Germany from 1938 until 2003. Back in the '30's, the leader of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler ordered the creation of a simple car which can be mass-produced in the country for the people. In 2003, the official production of the "Bug" stopped.
Unexpectedly, the car found a fan-base in Ethiopia due to its low price, but local mechanics have faced challenges such finding spare parts.
People in Ethiopia like the "Bug" for its robustness, functionality and it's drivability. Ethiopians regret that production was stopped.
Siyum Haile, 72, a retired United Nations (UN) employee and Jehovah's Witness, poses for a photograph next to his 1977 model Volkswagen Beetle car in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Haile said that he had used the car for seventeen years because it's strong, consumes less fuel and most of all it's the only car he can afford to buy in Ethiopia.
A Volkswagen Beetle car travels along a road in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Niguse Desalegn, 45, who owns a Volkswagen Beetle garage, poses for a photograph inside his garage in Addis Ababa.
A Volkswagen Beetle is parked in front of a grocery store in Addis Ababa.
A Volkswagen Beetle is abandoned near the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Market stall worker, Minilik Shewaferaw, 30, poses for a photograph next to his 1976 model Volkswagen Beetle. He has driven the car for three years. "I chose Volkswagen because it is affordable, easy to park and my luxury car indeed", Shewaferaw said.
A mechanic pushes a Volkswagen Beetle car inside a garage.
A 1978 model Volkswagen Beetle is parked near the Ethiopian National Theatre in Addis Ababa.
A Volkswagen Beetle car is seen whilst under maintenance at a garage in Addis Ababa.
A mechanic works on the engine of a Volkswagen Beetle car in a garage.
Ishetu Kinfe, 59, a mechanic, poses next to his 1965 model Volkswagen Beetle car at a garage in Addis Ababa.
A model of a Volkswagen Beetle toy is seen inside a Volkswagen Beetle car at a garage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
