Occasionally, car companies bring back old nameplates in the hope of stoking nostalgia and giving an old name a fresh new look. But it doesn't always work out.

The revived and redesigned Volkswagen Beetle was apparently one such case. Originally developed at the behest of Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s, the car later achieved astronomical sales figures in the 1960s, and became an icon of the era.

Volkswagen stopped selling the original version in the United States in the late 1970s, but continued to produce Beetles in other countries, then introduced a revived version in the 1990s. The car was a hit with many car buyers: Notably, Hillary and then-President Bill Clinton bought a redesigned Beetle for their daughter Chelsea.

But as sales slowed, Volkswagen decided to pull the plug. On Thursday, the automaker said the production of the car will end next year.

Volkswagen is not alone. Here are some other attempts by car companies to recall the past that did not last.