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1963 Volkswagen Beetle "Herbie" Sells for an Impressive $86,250 at Auction

It may seem like a bad time to sell classic Volkswagen cars at auctions from the point of view of a petrolhead, but this is not just an old Beetle, it’s the one that will be remembered as the car with personality that drives itself. For the younger ones, it should be noted the vehicle is seen as an iconic Hollywood character of a franchise that started in 1968.
1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie 8 photos
Photo: Bonhams
1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie1963 Volkswagen Beetle Used in Herbie
Perhaps you do remember Herbie The Love Bug, but what you probably never knew is that one of the modified racing VWs used in the movies featured, in fact, a Porsche 356 engine. Also, all Herbies had their VW badges removed from the hood and featured plain hubcaps.

The adorable 1963 VW Beetle that starred in five Disney films from 1968 to 2005 could make for at least some of the Beetle’s popularity, and the one in question makes no exception. As you can observe in the photo gallery below, this model is one of the “invisible driver” cars, with an elaborate system of sprockets and pulleys connected to a second steering wheel under the front seat for a rear seat driver.

For those who haven’t seen any of the movies, it should be noted that the car had to look as if it drove itself and considering autonomous cars did not exist in those days, that was the only way to make it look credible. The vehicle also has a second set of pedal assemblies, clutch cables, and a shifter extension.

All these considered, the car was offered as a Collectible, as it should not be used as a regular drive. Even so, that did not stop its bidder from going full throttle and paying a staggering amount of cash for a VW model that otherwise would sell for a couple of thousands of dollars in the US.

Offered along other Hollywood memorabilia this week at Bonhams’ Treasure from the Dream Factory auction, it wasn’t even the most expensive thing sold out there. Steve McQueen’s racing suit that the King of Cool wore while filming Le Mans sold for $425,000, while the blue gingham plaid dress worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz sold for $1.56 million.
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