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Disney holds 'Herbie: Fully Loaded' Car Wash for DVD Release

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:14 pm
by Christian
By Christian Ziebarth

I received a message last week informing me that Disney was holding a Herbie Car Wash on Tuesday, October 25 (the release date of <i>Herbie: Fully Loaded</i> on DVD) on the world famous Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. I wouldn't have been able to go except that I was in the area to attend my dad's retirement luncheon (after 44 years on the job). Disney took over the Sunset Car Wash for three hours and paid for everybody who showed up in that time frame to get their car cleaned. All the normal car wash workers had Herbie shirts on (white with the red and blue stripes and the number 53) and there were some Disney people decked out in full Herbie racing team pit crew uniforms as well.

When I pulled up, one of them handed me a bunch of <i>Herbie: Fully Loaded</i> air fresheners. I think she was trying to get rid of them because I got there near the end but I've already had friends and family asking for my extra ones. Herbie himself was there and I think his mere presence out on the busy street corner attracted a lot of customers. Having been fascinated by Herbie when I first saw <i>The Love Bug</i> as a small child, it was fun to see him in person. And I even got a professional car wash done along with it. Thanks Disney for the free car wash!

It's not likely that the car was the original Herbie but, nonetheless, it was an authentic old school VW Bug that looked the part. The classic vehicle is to be auctioned off on eBay to benefit Variety - The Children's Charity of Southern California, whose mission is to provide assistance to addicted, physically-challenged, neglected, abused, and/or underprivileged children throughout the area.

<center><img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h-k/herbiecw1.jpg">
The wash better be free with gas prices like that.

<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h-k/herbiecw2.jpg">
Everybody except Dean Jones.

<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h-k/herbiecw3.jpg">
One of the workers didn't get into the Herbie spirit.

<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h-k/herbiecw4.jpg">
This is a 100% 'HAND' car wash. No feet are used in the washing of your vehicle.

<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h-k/herbiecw5.jpg">
Herbie takes his trip to the great race track in the sky.

<b><u>More on <i>Herbie: Fully Loaded</i></b></u>
• <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/herbieful ... sney.com's DVD Review</a>
• <a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/angelarob ... sney.com's Interview with Director Angela Robinson</a>
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:21 pm
by Kenai
Wow, leave it up to Disney to show the kindness other movie studios wouldn't bother with.

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 11:18 pm
by MickeyMousePal
WOW nice story Christian if I knew about this I would have taken my car to get a free car wash...poor Krystal she has a bike. LOL :lol:

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 11:23 pm
by Robin Hood
Kenai wrote:Wow, leave it up to Disney to show the kindness other movie studios wouldn't bother with.
Disney is kind? Might I remind anyone of the last wave of DMC exclusive DVDS. :lol:

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:19 am
by RJKD23
MickeyMousePal wrote:WOW nice story Christian if I knew about this I would have taken my car to get a free car wash...poor Krystal she has a bike. LOL :lol:
ha ha ha, I don't have a bike! :(

Thanks for the pictures and info, Christian! Pretty cool that they had a car similar to Herbie there!

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:52 am
by orestes.
If I only had the money I would bid in that auction. I like Herbie but I'm not a big fan in owning a VW bug unless it was Herbie (although not the official Herbie but I'm sure it's close enough, I mean even the real Herbie isn't one car).

Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:04 pm
by Herbie3Rivers
That Herbie that was there is a real Herbie from HFL. From the looks of it, it appears to be Herbie #9 which is the junkyard Herbie that was on the Herbie and Friends cruise across America back in Apirl. I've personally come in contact with 4 of the Herbies used in HFL and probably a half dozen or more originals from the old movies, including the one that I own which was used in both The Love Bug and Herbie Rides Again. Here's my Herbie(far left) with Herbie #9 from HFL(far right) and another original used in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and Herbie Goes Bananas(center) during the Herbie and Friends cruis.

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Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:13 pm
by Christian
Thanks for the more complete information. I know a bunch of vehicles have been used in the movies. Isn't the one with the OFP 857 plate considered to be the truly authentic one? And, if you own that one, are you the guy on the Love Bug DVD who talked about how he bought that car from somebody?

Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:17 pm
by Herbie3Rivers
No, I'm not the guy on the dvd, though I do know both owners of those cars really well, but they're replicas. Nobody knows the whereabout of the true OFP 857 car.

Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:29 pm
by Christian
Does anybody want my last Herbie air freshener? I know it's not that big of a deal but I thought I'd see if there was any Herbie enthusiast who wanted it.

Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:11 am
by Herbie3Rivers
Which air freshener is it? I have a couple different design one. I have a bunch left over from the Herbie cruise with the radio shack zip zap ad on the back.

Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:59 pm
by Christian
It is an HFL one with the sort of cartoony stars bursting out from him.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:57 pm
by Herbie3Rivers
Sounds like the one I already have.

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:44 pm
by Herbie3Rivers
Don't know if anybody got to follow the Herbie auction on eBay. Herbie brought in $26,600. :o And that's almost double what I paid for my original Herbie the Love Bug about 10 years ago.