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Original Herbie Love Bug is Heading to Auction at No Reserve

1968's The Love Bug isn't just one of Walt Disney Production's finest creations, but it's also the movie that popularized Herbie. Jim Douglas may be seen behind the wheel of a Lamborghini 400GT, but the Beetle is his true weapon of choice in the cult movie.
Authentic Herbie used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) 5 photos
Photo: Barrett-Jackson
Authentic Herbie used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)Authentic Herbie used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)Authentic Herbie used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)Authentic Herbie used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
In the four photos featured below, you can see an original Herbie-specification 1963 Volkswagen Beetle car though it wasn't used for the filming of The Love Bug. In fact, this Volkswagen Kafer Type 1 Beetle appeared in sequel movies such as Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980).

And good golly, this particular machine is heading to auction at no reserve on April 17 at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach sale. Estimated price? Don't ask. All we know is there are a lot of people out there wanting to get their hands on this piece of Hollywood glamour and automotive history for hard to explain reasons.

SAE-rated at 40 horsepower (30 kW) in factory configuration, the authentic Herbie comes with a 1,835 cc motor fed by dual Kadron Solex carbs for that old school air-cooled boxer engine sound. Other than a recent mechanical service, the current owner of this love bug restored the interior exactly as it was in the 1977 film. Identified in Disney's records as #5916, old Herbie here is the oil squirting car (check the 10-second mark).

Compared to other Herbie bugs used in the 1977 movie, this one is functional and was used for both driving and interior shots. Considering how much appreciation there is for Herbie replica cars, an original should change hands at auction for a six-digit figure. It may be a far-fetched thought, but remember that this machine has pedigree and comes with a copy of the title from 1972 with Disney listed as the owner.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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