Herbie the Love Bug

Posted by wendyvee in Crazy Cars, Featured Articles, Wild Scoots, Cars, & Trucks on Feb 3rd, 2011
17 comments...view | Add Comment

Herbie the Love Bug!
AACA Museum
Hershey, Pennsylvania
(until April 24, 2011)
submitted by: “wendyvee”

wendyvee says:
In an effort to console myself over missing the International Motorcycle Show at NYC’s Javits Center this weekend, I took a little trip to re-visit the AACA Museum in Hershey.

It was “Community Day” with half-priced admission. Thumbs-up to me for saving $$. Thumbs-down for an entire floor of the museum closed for painting - leaving many vehicles out of view or in storage (including Betty White’s custom 1977 Cadillac Seville — the main inspiration for my visit). The silver lining was that Herbie the Love Bug is temporarily on loan from the Swigart Auto Museum! 

Herbie has to be the most lovable car in cinema history! While 70 or more “Herbies” were used in the 6 Herbie movies and the short-lived television series … only about 20 are still in existence. This particular Herbie was one of the models in the 1974 hit Herbie Rides Again. The Swigart Museum (located in Huntingdon, PA) is closed over the winter months, but I think I might make a visit sometime this summer to see their entire collection (including 2 additional Herbies!).


 

What is your all-time favorite movie or television car ?
Tell us in the comments below!

  

To see cars and motorcycles from my previous visit to the auto museum in Hershey, click the AACA tag at the end of this post.

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17 Responses to “Herbie the Love Bug”

  1. wyatt_e says:
    January 25, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    Best movie car ever. When I was about 6, I had plans to get a Beetle when I was old enough, and to “write to Disney to see if it was OK to paint it like Herbie”.

    Reply
  2. Molly B says:
    January 25, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    I like pretty much anything by George Barris (including, of course, the Batmobile): http://www.barris.com/gallery_cars/TV_MovieCars/tvmovie.html

    I just found out who George Barris is last summer, when we visited the Darryl Starbird museum in Grove, OK. Now that I know, though, I’m a fan (even on Facebook–where he actually posts once in a while!).

    And I LOVE Sarah Jane’s Nissan Figaro that looks like an old car in Sarah Jane Adventures (a spinoff of Doctor Who). But my favorite movie car of all time is probably the Aston Martin DB 2/4 Drophead Coupe that Tippi Hedren drove in The Birds.

    Reply
  3. Molly B says:
    January 25, 2011 at 8:26 pm

    Oh! And of course I have to mention Weird Al’s Nash Metropolitan, seen in UHF and in his video “All About the Pentiums.” The Met is my all-time favorite car of all time, and I love it that Weird Al has one!

    Reply
  4. Mod Betty / Retro Roadmap says:
    January 25, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    OK first off, I had no idea how many car museums there are in PA! We tried to make it out to Hershey a few weekends ago but had too much fun thrifting and had to get home to the dog. Then I find out there’s another musee in Allentown and Boyertown, and now you tell tale of another? wow!

    2nd. Betty – White’s – Cadillac? First of all I have dibs on that being me new Rockabilly band name, 2nd of all HOW COOL IS THAT! I totally want to check that out.

    3rd. I reserve the right to change my mind on the car – but my first thought was The Monkeemobile!

    Reply
  5. Fuzzygalore says:
    January 25, 2011 at 8:34 pm

    We missed you in NY :( but glad you had a nice weekend anyway.

    Oooh, Monkeemobile is a good one! The Munsters car was no slouch, either.

    Between this and your previous posts from the AACA, i guess it’s a must see!

    Reply
  6. PostMuse says:
    January 25, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    Batmobile. In the Batman television show with Adam West.

    Reply
  7. Bob says:
    February 5, 2011 at 5:29 am

    Great showcase of a real movie car! Thanks to everyone at the museum for making this happen.

    http://www.lovebugcentral.com

    Reply
  8. tomschauers says:
    February 5, 2011 at 5:34 am

    This was the best movie ever. Can’t wait to see the car in person.

    Reply
  9. Samir says:
    June 28, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    If you like Herbie, here’s Herbie on steroids owned by a local enthusiast and driven regularly to shows:
    http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/gallery/17170350_tX4STP#1302153065_SxcB7bL

    I love that little car, and am a big fan of the movies. :)

    Reply
    • wendyvee says:
      June 28, 2011 at 5:03 pm

      Holy Smokes … that’s a big engine for little Herbie :)

      Reply
      • Samir says:
        June 28, 2011 at 5:13 pm

        It is! And in the wrong place too! The radiator is in the back and a lot of times he has to drive it with the back open to get enough air circulating there.

        The interior headliner is really nice with the Route 66 motif. :)

        Reply

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