BY KEVIN SAWYER – With all of this new car technology talk and the visions of self driving cars, what could possibly match the legendary glory and allure of one of the most famous cars ever? The original Volkswagen Beetle that stared in the 1968 Disney movie called The Love Bug is now up for sale.
That’s right. You can now have a chance to own Herbie and take him home. Herbie is being offered up for sale at TheSamba but you may want to consider the asking price which currently stands at $85,000. The opportunity to own a 1963 original VW Beetle seems to be more than many people can ignore and several bids and offers have already been made.
The vehicle is officially known as Herbie #10 and it is not exactly in brand new pristine condition. The great thing about it, however, is that all of the damage and the dents are original. They all happened to Herbie during the course of filming the movie. That, apparently, is the life of a beloved stunt car.
For all who have seen and loved the original movie from 1968, it is hard to imagine Herbie not being in worse shape considering the unbelievable, for 1968, stunts that the car was put through. The Disney engineers and stunt drivers had to specially modify Herbie for the stunts done in the movie.
The current Herbie that is for sale was also modified to resemble an original 1963 VW Beetle from everything to the proper windows to the exact bumpers. This also meant alternating the lights as well as painting the car a bright white from the powder blue it originally was. The movie crews also had to swap out the original engine with a more powerful and later model version or the car wouldn’t have been able to perform and withstand the punishment it was put through in the movie.
The ad for the sale of Herbie specifically states that the engine doesn’t work and that the car can’t travel under its own power in its present condition. The final purchase by the buyer will include a spectacular commemorative binder that includes the entire history of the vehicle as well as the original “pink slip” that actually states that the vehicle was owned by Walt Disney Studios.
PHOTO CREDIT: TheSamba