When it comes to Disney’s iconic movie car, the Love Bug – otherwise known as Herbie – is a familiar sight to most car enthusiasts. It has been replicated multiple times, and in the process, we’ve learned a thing or two about which ones are truly sympathetic replicas and which ones are quick copies. This 1964 Beetle falls into the latter category, but the seller is also open about the fact he’s more interested in promoting the clean survivor Bug underneath. Find the Beetle here on eBay with bids to $15,050 and no reserve.
Now, I don’t blame the seller for adding some racing stripes and numbers to drive some interest in his auction; it’s actually pretty clever. And, really, most air-cooled enthusiasts are more interested in a survivor-grade Beetle than a Herbie replica. However, I do love me a good Herbie clone, but my preferred variety of the movie car is the version from Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, which saw the Love Bug clad with a Carello driving lamp and wider wheels and tires.
The seller claims that “…all mechanical” has been gone through, which I assume to mean the usual suspects such as fluids, ignition, and belts, and any other service items. The seller says nothing about whether the engine is numbers matching, and while the expectation is most Beetles and Buses have seen at least one engine swap in their lifetime, paying survivor-grade money generally comes with the expectation that the mill is original to the car.
The Beetle that we saw in the movies had a giant sliding canvas sunroof, so that’s a pretty major tell that this isn’t a sympathetic recreation. The interior color is also not correct, as the movie Bug had a very standard gray interior. And, the biggest way to know this isn’t a true Herbie is because the movie cars were rumored to have Porsche-sourced powerplants, among numerous other upgrades. So, should you buy this Bug, enjoy it for what it is: an early Beetle in very nice condition with a rust-free body.
While I generally don’t care for animated personification with automobiles, drew a lot of flak from my views on slack-jawed, yokel tow trucks with poor teeth, however, The Love Bug( 1968) was one of those movies every kid had to see. We have to remember, it was done without computer graphics, and everything had to be hand made. Fact is, I read, it was the last “live-action” show from Disney. Scenes had to be manually shot over and over and took months, compared to computer design that does it in minutes today. The characters were loved and familiar from previous Disney shows, and VW Bugs were certainly familiar, but this one, for the 1st time, had an attitude. Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, Buddy Hackett, Joe Flynn( Capt. Binghamton), such lovable characters, what ever happened to that? I think that movie, coupled to the general attitude of the time( damn hippies), made the VW Bug an icon. Everybody wanted to drive a “Herbie”, in a classic Disney “you can do it” mindset.
However,,,as time marches on, anyone under, say, 50, may not even know who or what Herbie is or was. Can’t blame them, I didn’t care about Glenn Miller, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the new owner, depending on age, will remove the graphics, and just have a really nice VW.
As always, thanks to BFs and Jeff for bringing these little reminders from our past, before the weight of the world crushed our fragile spirits when movies were actually fun to watch.
I always enjoyed the Auburn Cord Duesenburg labor day auction, car corral and swap meet. There was always a “P T Barnum” type there with a clapped out rusty bug with fresh 53 and pinstripes affixed “for sale”, sans a Buddy Hackett cut out.
I’m a Buddy Hackett “purist” preferring he and Mickey Rooney co-driving the bug convertible in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
I love, love “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World”! The chemistry between Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett was awesome.
The seller says engine has been rebuilt and doesn’t leak. That could be.
I’m wondering how much time usually passes for a classic beetle, after a quality rebuild, before it starts marking its territory again. Any thoughts from the BF community?
My first car was a ’73 and it dripped a little here and there but it was a beater, more Bondo than metal, and I just kept ahead of it.
Actually, Lothar, with modern gaskets and sealants, it’s entirely possible to have a VW that doesn’t leak today. The same can be said for British products. The usual culprit were the pushrod tubes, like Corvair. Being a PITA to change, many opted to just add oil before leaving. Purple Martin had re-refined oil for 5 qts for a buck,,,yeah, and the amazing thing, VWs ran okay on it, until #3 exhaust valve( on older Bugs) took a hike with an awful sound,,, that is.
Howard-
Thanks for weighing in. Interesting.
Again, my Beetle was a cheap clunker which may not have been worth a rebuild (in 1985) but if it was still alive and in my possession today, I might look at it differently, rebuild and use the quality parts to which you refer. I’m glad we have figured out a way to make those Beetles stop marking their territory.
~ Lothar
The decals are a bit of a mashup – the decklid decal actually uses the correct font from the first few movies (this is an *issue* with Herbie purists!). The door and trunklid decals are a “in the ballpark” computer font. The darker blue stripe is consistent with the movies following the original TLB film, in which Herbie had a lighter shade blue stripe.
This car wears a repro of Herbie’s OFP857 CA black license plate, which, if one does a DMV lookup, should point to Jim Douglas as the second (and fourth?) owner… :-)
Herbie was a 1963 in TLB, so there are some ’64-specific details that don’t match (such as front turn signals), but, all things considered, it’s not a bad tribute car. If one wanted to “go the extra mile,” it wouldn’t take much to make this a screen-accurate tribute (just pick which movie you want to be accurate to, as you stated). Or, pull the decals and enjoy yourself a nice ’64 driver.
I believe the 1600 cc engine was introduced in 1967 along with the 12 volt electrical system. The paint job looks good and the black welts shows the fenders were properly painted off the car. Under the bonnet is disappointing considering the vehicle’s exterior appearance. Potential buyers might want to see some images of the interior.
I had no idea early sixties bugs are worth as much as being asked on that eAuction place.
you are correct I think that engine was a 1200 in 1966 they intorduced the 1300, so not original but a lot stronger.
The $15,050 converts to just over £12,400 here in the UK. THAT IS CHEAP compared to prices you see for well-sorted examples of ANY age over here!
When I was a kid and saw those movies, I’d have loved this car. Now, I’ll pass. A friend’s mother had a 65 in white with a red interior back then, I rode in it a couple of times until they sold it and bought a K-car.
As a kid I loved the Herbie movies and love classic vw bugs because of those movies. It would be a dream to make this as accurate as possible to the movie cars with a Porsche engine and canvas roll back roof. Looks great as it sits though.
Yes, you could hear a valve job requirement coming a block away. Cover the exhaust pipes one at a time to figure out which side. Fortunately the engine was VERY easy to remove and service. Took less time than changing the spark plugs on a modern Subaru. Having it done back in the day was about $300.00 total.
The engine number identifies this as a 1200 cc 40 HP of approximately the correct year, meaning this could very well be the original engine.