I have a newfound respect for anyone out there who creates a replica of a car they fell in love with from TV or film. Something I’ve wanted to do for longer than I care to remember is have my own Herbie. It all started 2 years ago when, after boring my mate Dave to the point where he was about to strangle me to shut me up. We were watching Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo and I bored him with all the inconsistencies.
He took revenge and found a few cheap Beetles on the Facebook marketplace. My incessant talking must have done something because he learnt quickly which Beetle would be perfect and which one wouldn’t. Safe to say he can now tell the fundamental differences between a 63, 66 and 68. A Beetle was bought and all MY problems started.
Like many, I’ve been obsessed with Herbie ever since l watched “The Love Bug”. Herbie manages to ignite something in all of us but the hardest criminals and even then, I’m sure some of those might smile when they see one.
Stumbling Blocks
The list of childhood cars we grew up with is almost endless. My friend Pete replicated the Subaru from the original Cannonball Run. Visually it’s brilliant. It lacks the computer and jet propulsion in the boot but the car also has to be useable. That said, I am disappointed not to see him leap out of it in a jumpsuit like a crazed Kelly Marie.
Making any replica isn’t as easy as you’d think. I follow the Knight Rider Historians. Making a KITT seems almost impossible. 4 seasons, many differences, a continuity that was all over the place and the cost. KITT isn’t KITT without the scanner or that illuminated dashboard.
The A-Team Enforcer van you’d think would be easy to make. Watch The A-Team again and you’ll see more continuity issues than Knight Rider had. For want of a better word, the van was a bit part actor compared to KITT the star. The van appeared in a few scenes per episode. And yet it changes so much.
Starting Points
There are 5 films, a made-for-TV special starting Evil Dead’s Bruce Campbell and the Dean Jones TV mini-series. And it then all depends on what you remember. For me Herbie Goes Bananas is a no-go area. I just didn’t like that film. Some however do and have made their own rusty Taxi Ouchos.
It all starts when you search for that project car. And this is what has made me put this together. To make it easier in the search, it had to be a pre-67. I wanted some of the visually correct bits like door handles and switches. I also wanted a long bonnet and shallow rear valance. A 65 is wrong. 65 was the year of the big windows. 65 also turns out to be a bugger for parts. So many bits cross over. My advice, buy a 64 or 66!
Starting on the inside, Disney painted the inside grey for cinematography reasons. The white didn’t show up well on the big screen. And that’s why Herbie was 2 tone—something VW didn’t offer from the factory.
Going grey inside is pretty easy. Just paint everything grey. Fit grey door cards and cover the seats. The seats then cause the problems and it’s probably here where all replicas start to go wrong. I for one don’t like seats that lack a headrest. Safety for me comes first here. Out go the VW seats. Some people keep the original seats. Some go that extra mile and fit made-to-measure seats that resemble the high-backed ones used in Monte Carlo. Dedication can be something else in this community. Not that many owners get too pissy it has to be said. That’s a great thing about the Herbie community.
The insides however aren’t where most people’s eyes go. It’s the outside where the real problems start. And it’s a real headache to get it right.
Did you know that the engine vent didn’t always have stripes over it? You’re probably looking quite puzzled now. You’re looking on the internet and now calling me a liar. But it’s true. In The Love Bug, they were missing. They appeared in Herbie Rides Again. And this causes another problem. The shade of blue got darker from here on in. Something I hadn’t ever noticed.
And that colour. Herbie isn’t white. He’s pearl white. Shade L87. It’s a grotty colour. A sort of faded beige or dirty white. It’s certainly not a colour I’d choose if I had the choice. So some people keep their white Beetles white and you can’t blame them.
One thing I did notice when collecting pictures for this project was the vast differences in the bonnet gumball. The font is easy enough to get right but the sizes alter the look. It is probably the most fundamental thing to get right or wrong. The position of it is all too important. When we applied mine, I was looking at film cars, the internet and books. And even then it’s not accurate. If I’m going to be critical before the next person is, the font is a little too bold and the 5 goes over the chrome trim.
Bonnet stripes also cause a problem. It seems we Brits are the ones who fit them on the wonk as they reach the front edge of the bonnet.
There are 2 other items that for me, are essential but only if you want them. Having done this to my Beetle, I can see why people don’t. Cutting a hole in the top can be expensive if you pay someone to do it, or stressful. As it was, it was both expensive and stressful for me. And I fitted it myself. Due to a manufacturing issue, the frame was either too big or the canvas too short. Thankfully, being a bit handy with the spanners, I managed to make it all good in the end.
And then there’s that spotlight on the bonnet. It’s specific to only 2 films: Rides Again and Monte Carlo.
In making my own Herbie, l have a newfound respect for anyone who decides to take on this task because it is a task if you allow it to be. No one likes their car to be the centrepiece of critiquing but here we are, making a car that so many have fond memories of. And so many can get judgmental about it. Getting it right is either time-consuming or a joy. On the other hand, if you allow it, the fun stops. That said, there is something to be said about making it your own. I would say to the next person to have fun with it. And that brings me to the next bit.
Herbie Goes Off-Piste
No, that’s not a film you’ve missed. This is where, for me at least, it gets quite exciting. And where you as the creator can have some fun. Not everyone wants to keep their Herbie exactly like that from the films. I haven’t been true to the film I’ve based mine on. I’ve gone for the Monte Carlo look but added little touches of all the films here and there Some more subtle than others. You can’t please them all but I’ll ruddy well try!
I didn’t think I would before I started this. However, I like a bit of razzmatazz. I’ve also added chrome where it never was, a chin spoiler and fitted seats from a Fiat X1/9. And then there is the sticker collection under the deck lid.
Some go even further whilst others keep it subtle. Like Jerry Cason in the US who fitted Porsche Fuchs to his white Beetle. And I have to say, it looks stunning.
Respect
I was always a bit critical when I saw a Beetle made to look like Herbie. Considering the parts availability, I was always puzzled as to why people kept their upright lights from a 68 or used a 1303.
Since I started my project, I have discovered things about Herbie that I didn’t know or even notice. The love from the Herbie community is immense, mostly from those who have made their own. These are the ones you need to speak to. I’ll only go on from here and encourage the next person who creates their own to enthuse in what they are doing and make it special to them.
So remember, when you stand there chastising someone’s efforts for making their Herbie, just look at that Herbie and ask yourself, “Could I do it any better” If you can’t, or haven’t then sit down and shut the fuck up. That’s someone’s little bit of joy. That’s theirs to do with what they want. That brings them joy and I’m quite sure they don’t care what people think as they go about their day in a hero they created because the next person they see will no doubt be smiling. After all, they do.
As Dave says “It’s easy. Bought a Beetle, painted it white and threw some stripes on it” And he’s quite right. That’s all you have to do.
Picture Credits:
Robert Fenner JMA247K
Richard Walsh BLD 210H
Karl Grevatt OFP 857
Pierry De Salles Mello LEC8912
Sean Jordan (full throttle)
Daniel McBurney Rusty Bananas
Ben Loach UKR430HH