Herbie the Love Bug

Herbie the Love Bug

The first movie I ever went to with just my friends was Herbie the Love Bug. No, it wasn’t the one with Lindsay Lohan in it, my Herbie the Love Bug was the one from 1969 with Dean Jones and Buddy Hackett. I remember paying 10 cents, money that I got from collecting soda bottles from the neighbors and returning them to the grocery store. (It was 2 cents for a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles at that time.)

Imagine my surprise when Herbie was at my train station last night. I hopped off the train and voila! Check that thing out. It’s the real deal. Number 53 decals, canvas-covered sun roof, and all. That was a real smile.

My first car was a 1964 VW Beetle that I paid $25 for. I called it Herbie.

Posted on January 10, 2009
Filed Under Frank's World | Comments

Comments

  • WOW! That is too cool. Was it privately owned or some kind of promotional thing?


    How well I remember the original Love Bug ... Where have you gone, Dean Jones?
  • It looked like it was privately owned. I looked inside of it...looked like some guy drove it to the train station and went to work in Philly. Was it Dean Jones? I dunno, but if it had been I would have gone nuts!
  • Great memories of going to Avalon movie theater with the waves crashing under it. Saw most of the Disney films there like Follow Me Boys, and Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.
  • Man, I so remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Kurt Russell long before Goldie entered the picture. We had those Disney shows on Saturdays where they let the kids come for cheap. Island of the Blue Dolphins? I was young enough to cry when the dogs killed one of the dolphins. Yikes!
  • Always fun to have a moment from childhood.

    Good to know that your tastes have improved since the days of your first movie.
  • Ok, Rick, I dunno if my tastes have improved. I still pine for The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes...and get weepy watching Dirty Dancing for the 500th time. It was such a flashback to see Herbie there!
  • Merci
    I think I saw that movie 3 times, back in the day when there was a movie theater at the Moorestown Mall.
  • Merci...I had to have seen it more than once, because I still remember large chunks of it. How about how cool that looked? That Herbie was so cool and in such great shape...what a flashback.
  • I saw that movie too! Our first car was also a VW bug, blue, and I don't remember the year.
  • I got into so much trouble once when I was 10 and repeated what my friends called a VW Beetle: A pregnant lady on roller skates. We weren't allowed to say "pregnant" in our 1969 Catholic house. LOL to think about that now.
  • Marvin
    It must have briefly felt as if you stepped off the train and into a time warp. That sometimes happens after the Friday commute home.
  • Marvin, that was such a funny moment. You're right, I was traveling all week in Chicago, and was really winding down on my train trip home on Friday. It was such a funny little moment to see that car. I haven't thought about Herbie the Love Bug, or my first car, or my first movie on my own, in decades. Then whoosh! Time warp, as you say.
  • When I was a kid, I loved the Love Bug -- maybe mostly because my father had a 65 Beetle, and I loved riding around in it. I used to climb into the very back in the winter (the space right behind the back seat -- it was the warmest place in the car). Probably not the safest arrangement, but I guess it was a different time.

    I remember that car running almost flawlessly until my dad sold it in 1980 to the neighbor's grandson, who converted our old VW into a dune buggy. And yes, I thought that was really cool, too, but I missed that car just the same.
  • Those VW Beetles were built so simply they ran forever. You're right, the best heat was in the back seat because it was an air-cooled engine and the heater ducts came from those headers. Crazy dangerous cars...but I loved mine...and loved Herbie. Fun stuff.
  • Bob
    Whether on the road or the big screen, Herbie the Love Bug is responsible for spreading smiles all over the country. Inspired by the adorable automobile, Operation Herbie is designed to use the popularity of the Love Bug to create awareness of children’s healthcare issues and raise funds for non-profit organizations associated with children battling illness.

    Operation Herbie volunteers visit sick children in their homes and help out at events; proving a little goes a long way, as Herbie drivers pose for pictures and hand out memorabilia for families and children going through traumatic times. Founded in 2003, Operation Herbie has helped raise money and awareness for Celiac Disease, The Burn Foundation, and Make A Wish, among others.

    “We decided to come up with a group and a Web site. We then got so much feedback from people all over the country who share the love for Herbie as well,” says Bob Croesus of www.lovebugcentral.com . “We want to put a smile on children’s faces and raise money at the same time.”

    Operation Herbie is always looking for volunteers to help with fundraisers, events, and hospital visits. For more information or if you are interested in volunteering, call 610.657.3101 or visit www.lovebugcentral.com
blog comments powered by Disqus