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 I Wana Herbie
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| posted on December 26th, 2009 at 11:43 AM |
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Auction in the early 80's
Hi Guys,
Does any one know about an auction of an original movie used herbie in Sydney, during the early 80's and what ever happened to that car?
Looking to make a herbie replica, HELP ME.
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Phil74Camper
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| posted on January 2nd, 2010 at 03:19 PM |
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No there never were any original Disney Herbies auctioned in Sydney in the '80s. In fact, to my knowledge, there have never been any genuine Disney
Herbies in Australia at all. There are only replicas here.
In 1984 the Greater Union cinema company re-released Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo for general release (originally released in 1977). It was shown at the
old Lyceum Cinema in Pitt St - where the Wesley Centre is now. To coincide with the release, GU's public relations department organised a 'Herbie
Fun Day' in May 1984 at the Rocks, in Sydney. They contacted the VW Club of NSW for help - I was their editor in those days. We ended up with a
street parade and display and around 20 VWs on show.
GU organised a Herbie replica as part of the display and they contacted a business called 'Rent-A-Bug' which in those days was located on Parramatta
Rd Croydon, opposite where Maccas is now. 'Rent-A-Bug' provided a white '69 Beetle (yes, the wrong year model), and red/blue stripes in electrical
tape. It even had genuine NSW 'Herbie' number plates! GU was able to supply genuine '53' decals (!) I took delivery of the car, but had to reapply
the stripes as they were wrong. That done, it was put on display at Westfield Miranda and then the Herbie Fun Day.
After the day was over, Rent-A-Bug took the car back and returned it to their rental fleet. I did hear that it was turned into a chop-top convertible
a year or two later. Rent-A-Bug went out of business around 1988, so I suppose the car could have been auctioned off. The 'Herbie' plates still
exist and are now owned by someone else and are on a different car.
This photo was taken in my backyard in 1984 - the Rent-A-Bug Herbie replica with genuine Disney '53' decals, with my brother Si and my sister Em
(and family dog).
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Camo
A.k.a.: Kev
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| posted on January 2nd, 2010 at 03:40 PM |
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Well done Phil and love the photo. The only thing is, who is the big dorky looking bloke standing at the passengers door  And, where have you been hiding your sister 
Hope you had a great Chrissy and HNY, Kev
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Matt Ryan
A.k.a.: Matt Ryan
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| posted on January 2nd, 2010 at 08:50 PM |
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Phil,
Didn't rent - a - bug reappear near West Ryde on Victoria road as, rent - a - bent - bug?
The idea was mechanically sound but rough looking rental cars at dirt cheap prices.
I think later they dropped the bugs and called themselves rent - a - bomb.
Or was that a different business altogether?
Regards,
Matt.
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on January 3rd, 2010 at 12:47 PM |
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Kev the big dorky bloke on the right is me, looking a lot younger than I do now. I will tell Em that you are a big fan but I don't know what her
husband will think...
Matt, I'm not familiar with a Rent-A Bug at West Ryde but it's probably a different business. The Croydon Rent-A-Bug business was run by a fellow
named Paul Bijkirk. They rented Beetle sedans, and chop top convertibles, 'roll back roof' convertibles and 'roadster' conversions. Their cars
were converted in-house by a subsiduary called 'Softop Conversions', the first NSW company to be given type approval for VW roof chops.
They had a display at the Knox Motor Club Show at the Macquarie shopping centre in 1984, where I grabbed this flyer.
Thankfully the 'chop top' craze has since died out, probably because there are so few good VWs left now. It's the 'Herbie replica' craze that
seems to be keeping on. If you want to make a Herbie replica, please try to do it properly! Have a look at this US site for more info on making your
own Herbie replica:
http://www.herbiemania.com/build.html
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vwjon
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| posted on January 8th, 2010 at 10:46 PM |
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heres a picture i found of a drive in movie.
almost 500 vw's turned up for the premier ot Dysneys Love Bug at the Chullora drive in, in Sydney
the Love Bug was released in 1968, were you there?
3 1959 cadillacs
1 musso
2 early notchbacks
2 split kombis
2 split panels
1 split ute
1 low light panel
1 ex-pmg bay
1 country buggy
1 beetle ute
1 14" syncro caravelle
1 16" syncro doka
1 golf cabrio
1 vw camper trailer
2 3meter bombs
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amazeer
A.k.a.: Surly Duff
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| posted on January 8th, 2010 at 11:28 PM |
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geez, where are all the kombis? And where are the ovals? No wonder there arent that many on the roads now, they werent around 40 years ago!
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1303Steve
A.k.a.: Steve Carter
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| posted on January 8th, 2010 at 11:41 PM |
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Hi
All the Kombis would have been on the back row.
Steve
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amazeer
A.k.a.: Surly Duff
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| posted on January 8th, 2010 at 11:47 PM |
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oooh yeah, forgot about that. All the kombi drivers had to go back the following night, to watch the movie this time.... might need to get myself
another kombi. And drop my age 20 years.
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on January 9th, 2010 at 10:44 AM |
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Yes that was Chullora Drive-in in Sydney, which was owned by MGM. All the other Sydney Drive-ins were owned by Consolidated, a joint venture between
Hoyts/Greater Union. Only the MGM Chullora could show Disney movies as they had the contract. With two screens, and three staggered sessions in the
days before daylight saving, they could get 6,000 cars through in one night. At its peak in the early 1970s, Chullora Drive-In made more money than
any other drive-in in the world. It closed in 1978 and today, sadly, the site is the Chullora Big W shopping centre.
The Love Bug was released in 1968 in the USA, but not until December 1969 in Australia. That shot was taken at a special premiere in November 1969,
sponsored by VW Australia at North Ryde. Ray and Shirley Pleydon, current Club Veedub members, were there that night.
I don't know if Beetles were let in for free, like FJ Holdens were at the 1977 debut of that movie at the same drive-in.
Being 1969, Ovals hadn't been on sale for 11 years, and they were only sold for four years anyway (27,132 VW 1200s were sold here, 1954-57). They
sold nearly that many EACH year from 1959-65, so yes ovals were not common on our roads in the '60s.
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vwjon
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| posted on January 9th, 2010 at 08:03 PM |
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Wow thats amazing,
looking at the 2 photo's the herbie pic was taken in the right hand screen, the blue roofed house/shed has its lights on in the black and white
pic!
bet the people living in those houses were very happy people!!
the black and white pic shows 8 rows of cars, which means the picture was likely to have been taken from the projectionists box, so there cannt have
been many kombis there as there are only another 3 rows.
3 1959 cadillacs
1 musso
2 early notchbacks
2 split kombis
2 split panels
1 split ute
1 low light panel
1 ex-pmg bay
1 country buggy
1 beetle ute
1 14" syncro caravelle
1 16" syncro doka
1 golf cabrio
1 vw camper trailer
2 3meter bombs
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I Wana Herbie
Casual Dubber
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| posted on January 10th, 2010 at 03:39 PM |
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Thanks for the photo's and stories 
They are cool.
Looking to make a herbie replica, HELP ME.
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on January 11th, 2010 at 06:25 AM |
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If you like Herbie the Love Bug, have a read of our detailed examination of all four original films, starting here:
http://www.clubvw.org.au/love_bug.htm
I haven't gotten around to doing Herbie Fully Loaded yet...
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theVman
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| posted on February 15th, 2011 at 03:32 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Phil74Camper
'Rent-A-Bug' provided a white '69 Beetle (yes, the wrong year model), and red/blue stripes in electrical tape. It even had genuine NSW 'Herbie'
number plates! GU was able to supply genuine '53' decals (!) I took delivery of the car, but had to reapply the stripes as they were wrong. That
done, it was put on display at Westfield Miranda and then the Herbie Fun Day.
After the day was over, Rent-A-Bug took the car back and returned it to their rental fleet. I did hear that it was turned into a chop-top convertible
a year or two later. Rent-A-Bug went out of business around 1988, so I suppose the car could have been auctioned off. The 'Herbie' plates still
exist and are now owned by someone else and are on a different car.
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Hi Phil74Camper,
This sounds very much like a VW I have just purchased from Wollongong. It had the origional companys Business card (Softop Conversions) in it and at
the moment is untouched since then, but I have plans for it. This is one of only 4 ever built (so Ive been told) white, red, black and another. Very
good chance its the white one above. Do you have some details (numbers) so I can confirm?
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Rural Baja
A.k.a.: Will Holmes
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| posted on February 15th, 2011 at 08:04 PM |
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There is a Herbie movie beetle in Australia, Alex from Sydney owns it. Its a Herbie Goes Bananas movie car. The one with the rear steering setup, it
had a wooden framed ragtop in it and was on a new floorpan but came with the original movie one. I was looking for a Herbie Fully Loaded beetle from
the states, but decided to build one myself. Nearly finished! Waiting for the number plates to arrive this week and i still have to hint out some wide
steel wheels 
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pod
A.k.a.: paul mrvw061
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i`ve got to finish this thing one day
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| posted on February 15th, 2011 at 08:10 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Rural Baja
There is a Herbie movie beetle in Australia, Alex from Sydney owns it. Its a Herbie Goes Bananas movie car. The one with the rear steering setup, it
had a wooden framed ragtop in it and was on a new floorpan but came with the original movie one.
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Was going to say that one came through the judging at the 2010 nationals
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theVman
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| posted on February 15th, 2011 at 11:19 PM |
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Softops
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on February 16th, 2011 at 06:30 AM |
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True, Alex's Herbie is a genuine article. However we didn't know about it when this post originally began; he's only been a club member since last
March, when he first brought his Herbie along to the Flower Power classic car day at Moorebank. Yes it was great to see his herbie at the Nationals in
May, together with a couple of others. I believe Alex was thinking of selling his Herbie late last year but changed his mind.
Sorry no I don't have any more details on the chop top Herbie. I'm not even sure whether it became a 'normal' chop top, or a 'roadster' chop top
like yours.
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