VW Beetle enthusiast Luke Theochari has become the talk of the town after forking out a hefty sum to acquire one of the original Herbie movie cars.
Decades later, the father of three is spreading "joy and happiness" on British roads with Herbie, having purchased the beloved car from a previous owner in the States - one of a mere trio used in the original film. Luke's Beetle model, known as H2, was specifically constructed for the film's racing scenes. It boasts a powerful Porsche 356 engine and is kitted out with performance upgrades such as Porsche finned brakes on all four wheels, Koni shock absorbers, and a suspension system designed to handle serious road bends.
"While I was at home recovering I'd watch films with my daughter Flori who was three at the time. We'd watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and then when she went to bed I'd put on the Herbie films again and I just knew what I wanted to do." "They asked 'How would you get the car to the UK? ' so I said to them 'You'll have to send him off with an empty belly because he'll be on a ship for a couple of weeks and you don't want him getting sick'. That's how Herbie was treated in the movies and that's how they spoke of him."
He said: "I'll never reveal how much I paid because money didn't come into it. My late wife, Helen, never asked. She wasn't interested. All she wanted to know was that I was happy." The platform features true tales of friendship, love, and the overcoming of life's biggest hurdles, as well as stories of hobbies turned into careers and even an account from a film star.