I own the original VW Herbie Love Bug & people can’t stop talking to my car – I’ll NEVER reveal how much I paid
A VW Beetle superfan revealed he splashed £1,000s on the most iconic version of the motor that featured in a classic film - but won't share the exact price.
Luke Thechari, 65, is the proud owner of the Volkswagen Beetle that appeared in the 1969 movie "The Love Bug".
After watching the movie when he was just 10 years old, the petrolhead became obsessed with the Beetle and dreamt of owning it one day.
Luke was amazed when Herbie won races - and wanted to replicate the love the owners had for the car.
"As a child, it creates an image in your head," he added.
Fast forward 55 years and Luke has brought Herbie to the UK, but most people don't realise that it's the original that they see driving on UK roads.
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He said: "When I’m driving down the street people shout ‘Herbie! Herbie!’, but they don’t realise it’s the real car."
The classic car fan prefers this, as it is easier for him to get around.
Luke originally had planned on just building a replica of the iconic motor but his perspective changed after he suffered a heart attack in 2005.
The ordeal gave the 65-year-old time to reflect, and he almost sold some of his cars to raise money to his wife just in case he died.
However, after rewatching the classic 1969 film, Luke knew he wanted the original.
The VW Beetle used in the film - codenamed H2 - was designed specifically for the movie's race scenes.
A Porsche 356 engine had been installed and loaded with performance upgrades.
Porsche finned brakes were added to all four wheels as well as Koni shock absorbers, along with a suspension system that could handle some serious bends in the road.
Through his various contacts, Luke was able to track down one of the original cars to an owner in America.
Convincing the owner to sell the classic VW was tricky and it took a lot of negotiating and background checks before the car could be shipped over.
I’ll never reveal how much I paid because money didn’t come into it
After more than a year, the car eventually was sent to the UK.
He said: "What swung it for me was when I spoke of the car as though it was human.
"That’s how Herbie was treated in the movies and that’s how they spoke of him."
Luke had to nervously wait for six weeks while the car was transported from Florida to Southampton.
When it arrived in 2007, Luke's entire street came out to have a look - but still no one knew it was the real deal.
The VW enthusiast is tight-lipped about how much he spent on the car, but a similar model used in the fourth film sold at an auction for £80,000 in 2015.
Luke said: "I’ll never reveal how much I paid because money didn’t come into it."
When he's not working, the VW owner loves to bring joy to others through his car.
He once made a 212-mile round trip to Leicester at the request of a sick three-year-old boy's mum.
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She messaged Luke telling him how much her son loved the films and had recently undergone several serious operations.
Luke took the VW Beetle there and also brought a kid's racing outfit for him to wear which made his day.
Where The Original Famous Cars From Movies And TV Shows Are Today
- The Batmobile (various iterations)
There have been several iterations of this vehicle, from the quirky Batmobile of the 1960s TV show to the more recent beasts driven by Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson in their respective cinematic universes.
The original 1966 Batmobile has found a new home at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum.
Sadly, Christopher Nolan's one from the Dark Knight trilogy is rumoured to be gathering dust outside a warehouse in Dubai
The good news, however, is that it reportedly still gets taken out for the occasional spin.
- The Aston Martin DB5 from James Bond
The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 is arguably the most iconic movie car of all time, according to Slashgear.
However, in 1997, James Bond's most famous ride mysteriously disappeared from a secure hangar at Boca Raton Airport in Florida.
Interestingly, the car was recently rumoured to have resurfaced somewhere in the Middle East.
- The A-Team van
The A-Team rolled in a modified black and metallic-gray 1983 GMC Vandura.
It was designed by legendary car customizer George Barris, the man behind many celebrated vehicles in TV and movie history, including the 1966 Batmobile.
One of them is on display at the Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park and a stunt van resides at the Hollywood Cars Museum in Vegas.
- The DeLorean from Back to the Future
Of the six DeLoreans used in the series, the car that had the most screen time is the only one available for public viewing in the US.
- The RV from Breaking Bad
The Crystal Ship, as named by the drug-addicted character Jessie Pinkman, is where he and his one-time chemistry teacher, Mr. White, illegally manufactured hard drugs.
The Fleetwood Bounder RV was the centre of many tense and memorable plot points and is easily the most recognizable mobile home in modern television history.
While many believe the RV to have been destroyed, the truth is that it was a replica that went to the junkyard in Episode 34. The RV lives on and is currently a part of Sony Pictures Studio tours.
Find out more about your favourite Movie motors at Slashgear.
