Could they have made the Love Bug movies using any other vehicle? The answer to that question is quite simply no, and anyone who has ever owned/driven one will back me up!
Why? Because no other vehicle ever possessed the individual personalities of those old Volkswagen Beetles, or Bugs as they’ve become affectionately called! Simply put, the millions (over 21 million manufactured) who have enjoyed this simple yet efficient little wonder car could quite readily accept one having a complete mind of its own!
I fondly remember one of the first cars I owned, a dark green 1966 Beetle which had previously belonged to my mother. As its 6-volt battery had gone the way of the Dodo bird, and was rather expensive to replace, I spent two whole years push-starting my little treasure. In fact, I became so good at this that I never did replace the battery. Why waste hard-to-find beer money?
That’s just one of the many tales I have of my old friend and I’m certain that a fair number of you have similar ones. In fact, if you don’t, then you should rush out and find one to drive, as you’ll never be able to claim fame as a true car guy/girl until you have a Bug story to tell!
Of course, the films and TV shows painted a rather rose-tinted picture of the vehicle. Race a Bug? What, with brakes which made tossing a boat anchor out of the window a viable option? The acceleration of a twelve-year-old kid on a ten-speed? Not to mention the vague steering and a gear shifter which felt like stirring a matchstick in a well-loved piece of chewing gum?
For certain, they were not the most perfect or perhaps even civilized vehicles ever produced, but somehow they got under your skin and you simply fell in in love with them! That in itself is a tad strange when you consider the history behind the vehicle.
Although based on a 1931 Ferdinand Porsche design, the Volkswagen Beetle would probably never have seen the light of day if it hadn’t been for a certain German leader. In 1933, he ordered Porsche to produce what is now often referred to as “the People’s Car”. The idea was simple; the vehicle had to be basic in design and capable of transporting two adults and three children at 100 km/h.
I can’t imagine anyone back then could have predicted the future of the humble Bug. It has sold in the millions, and on just about every continent. Drivers have customised them, and many are still in use as kit car platforms today, including everything from beach buggies to wannabe Lamborghinis.
They have made a name for themselves in circuit racing (obviously, with a few modifications), and have dominated the desert racing scene, so maybe the idea of the Love Bug winning race trophies wasn’t so farfetched after all.
Herbie the Love Bug was the star of no less than 6 movies, including The Love Bug (1968), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), The Love Bug (1997 TV movie) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005).
Sadly, my Bug never won any awards, nor did it become one of the greatest film/TV cars of all time. Nevertheless, I loved that little car, and I often felt that I knew exactly what he was thinking, which is precisely why the Love Bug franchise worked so well!
Bitten by the Bug and want to read more on Herbie, then check out some of his fan sites…
http://www.herbiemania.com/
http://lovebugfans.net/
http://www.lovebugcentral.com/
Why? Because no other vehicle ever possessed the individual personalities of those old Volkswagen Beetles, or Bugs as they’ve become affectionately called! Simply put, the millions (over 21 million manufactured) who have enjoyed this simple yet efficient little wonder car could quite readily accept one having a complete mind of its own!
I fondly remember one of the first cars I owned, a dark green 1966 Beetle which had previously belonged to my mother. As its 6-volt battery had gone the way of the Dodo bird, and was rather expensive to replace, I spent two whole years push-starting my little treasure. In fact, I became so good at this that I never did replace the battery. Why waste hard-to-find beer money?
That’s just one of the many tales I have of my old friend and I’m certain that a fair number of you have similar ones. In fact, if you don’t, then you should rush out and find one to drive, as you’ll never be able to claim fame as a true car guy/girl until you have a Bug story to tell!
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| Photo: Walt Disney Studios |
Of course, the films and TV shows painted a rather rose-tinted picture of the vehicle. Race a Bug? What, with brakes which made tossing a boat anchor out of the window a viable option? The acceleration of a twelve-year-old kid on a ten-speed? Not to mention the vague steering and a gear shifter which felt like stirring a matchstick in a well-loved piece of chewing gum?
For certain, they were not the most perfect or perhaps even civilized vehicles ever produced, but somehow they got under your skin and you simply fell in in love with them! That in itself is a tad strange when you consider the history behind the vehicle.
Although based on a 1931 Ferdinand Porsche design, the Volkswagen Beetle would probably never have seen the light of day if it hadn’t been for a certain German leader. In 1933, he ordered Porsche to produce what is now often referred to as “the People’s Car”. The idea was simple; the vehicle had to be basic in design and capable of transporting two adults and three children at 100 km/h.
I can’t imagine anyone back then could have predicted the future of the humble Bug. It has sold in the millions, and on just about every continent. Drivers have customised them, and many are still in use as kit car platforms today, including everything from beach buggies to wannabe Lamborghinis.
They have made a name for themselves in circuit racing (obviously, with a few modifications), and have dominated the desert racing scene, so maybe the idea of the Love Bug winning race trophies wasn’t so farfetched after all.
Herbie the Love Bug was the star of no less than 6 movies, including The Love Bug (1968), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), The Love Bug (1997 TV movie) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005).
Sadly, my Bug never won any awards, nor did it become one of the greatest film/TV cars of all time. Nevertheless, I loved that little car, and I often felt that I knew exactly what he was thinking, which is precisely why the Love Bug franchise worked so well!
Bitten by the Bug and want to read more on Herbie, then check out some of his fan sites…
http://www.herbiemania.com/
http://lovebugfans.net/
http://www.lovebugcentral.com/