PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, will auction an original “Herbie,” the world’s most beloved Volkswagen Beetle, during the 13th Annual Palm Beach Auction in Palm Beach, Florida, April 17-19, 2015, at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The ’63 Volkswagen Beetle (Lot #394) rose to fame as the star in the 1969 film “Love Bug,” which led to three subsequent films in the original series.
“The Walt Disney studio did a phenomenal job of taking an unlikely car and turning it into a Hollywood film star,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “This specific version is one of a handful that was actually used for driving and interior shots during the movie. While there were quite a few ‘Herbies’ used in the films, only a few remain in existence.”
Known to the movie-going public as “Herbie” and to Walt Disney Productions as “5916,” this car is better known in the loyal Herbie community as the “oil squirter,” as it was designed to squirt oil out of the passenger-side wheel well. It was particularly famous for doing just that on a police officer’s foot in the 1977 film “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.”
After the car’s final appearance in 1980’s “Herbie Goes Bananas” it was sold into private hands. It was later purchased by Arthur Porter, who had the car restored to its “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo” appearance and piloted it in many vintage car races until the year 2000. Herbie spent the next few years relaxing in museums. The next owner, Doug Kaufmann, saw to it that Herbie’s interior was restored to its “Monte Carlo” state, and reinstalled the bumpers, which had been removed for vintage racing events.
“I love that our bidders can get as excited about a Volkswagen Beetle, as they can an original Shelby GT350,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “I think it shows the depth and breadth of the collector car hobby and our docket at each auction. We’re delighted that ‘Herbie’ will be a part of our Palm Beach auction.”
Live coverage of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Palm Beach will be broadcast in live, high-definition TV coverage on Velocity and Discovery from Friday through Sunday, April 17-19.
For more information on becoming a bidder, follow the link to http://www.Barrett-Jackson.com/Bidder/Home.
About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™, is the leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events. The company produces auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; Reno-Tahoe, Nevada; and Las Vegas, Nevada. With broadcast partners Velocity and Discovery Channel, Barrett-Jackson will feature 100 hours of live television coverage in 2015, including broadcasts in over 100 countries internationally. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit http://www.Barrett-Jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.
For high resolution photos, please contact Aaron Cook at ACook@TPRM.com.
