The Anti Herbies
February 19, 2007
We all recognize Herbie from the various movies he's been in. The ultimate underdog, Herbie has proven time and time again to beat all odds.
But, there are those who simply are fed up with the wholesome image of Herbie and the rebel in them ache for something a little bit rougher and a whole lot nastier. If a pearl white Volkswagen with patriotic red white and blue stripes don't float your boat, what do you do?
You plan for an Evil Herbie, of course!
Herbie the Love Bug, the little race car that could is as familiar to the young and young at heart as Ronald McDonald. Herbie is an icon, one of the world's movie star cars.
In the 1997 Herbie the Love Bug made for TV movie, Horace the Hate Bug first appeared. using a similar Volkswagen Beetle, the folks at Disney introduced a car that matched Herbie but with a more sinister objective. It was all black and armed with a laser beam!
In the end, in true Disney fashion, our hero prevailed adding to the Herbie legend.
One of my fellow Volkswagen of the Philippines (VWCP) members wants to pay tribute to Herbie. But instead of merely copying Herbie as is as so many have done before, Jaz wanted his Herbie to be a little different.
Instead of the familiar white with red and blue 63 ragtop, Jaz wanted to paint his VW black and with gold and metallic silver stripes. I didn't want to put the number 53 again, so I opted for the number 63 (which is the year this VW was produced). With a fresh set of Rader rims, this Evil Herbie is poised to show off in the local Vdub scene.
Unfortunately, this is not going to happen. Plans changed and Jaz sold his 63 bug. Anybody willing to continue with this concept?
There are also a miriad of Herbie-inspired Volkswagens that have been made around the world. These do not copy Herbie exactly but are otherwise influenced by the Love Bug.
Good Guy or Bad Boy, there is enough room for Volkswagen lovers to express their individuality by the rides they create. I know that while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, deep down, we all can't be Herbie.
