The man owns the original VW Herbie and travels to Leicester to spread the ‘Love Bug’ joy.

A VW Beetle superfan has shelled out thousands to own one of the original Herbie movie cars. Luke Theochari has had a lifelong passion for the beloved Bugs and after acquiring one of the iconic models from the Herbie franchise, has since traveled the UK, including Leicester, to share the joy of ‘Love Bug’.

Herbie first drove on cinema screens in the 1969 classic The Love Bug, and it was then that 10-year-old Luke developed a passion for cars – but it was Herbie who really captured his heart, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own. The famous car had a classic cream paint job with bold red, white and blue racing stripes and is an icon of cinema history, reports SWNS.

Luke dreamed of one day owning his own Herbie and 55 years later that dream has come true. Luke bought his Herbie from an American owner who then shipped him across the pond. He said: “When I’m driving down the street, people are shouting ‘Herbie! Herbie!’, but they don’t realize it’s the real car. That makes it a little easier to move around.”

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Luke’s Herbie is one of three cars used in the first film and was codenamed H2. It was built specifically for the film’s racing scenes, with an uprated Porsche 356 engine and loaded with performance upgrades, including four-wheel Porsche finned brakes, Koni shock absorbers and a suspension system that could handle some serious cornering of the road.

Luke, who is from west London, has been restoring and repairing VW Beetles for nearly four decades. The H2 is the centerpiece of his car collection, but Luke is keen to share the ‘Love Bug’ with as many people as possible and it always gets attention.

He said: “When I park at the shops people come and look at the car and when I used to go to the cafe in the morning the workmen – those very serious builders and roofers would say ‘Hi Herbie!’ and they would go and talk in the car.”

Away from trips to the shops, the 65-year-old is touring the UK to bring the joy of Herbie to as many people as possible. This included a 212-mile round trip to Leicester for a sick three-year-old boy who was a die-hard Herbie fan.

Luke said: “I got a text from his mum saying how much she loved his films. The boy had undergone several major surgeries and wondered if I could drive Herbie to their home.

“So we got Herbie complete with a baby racing outfit to wear – similar to what they wore in the first film – and it was a great day! My wife would also take Herbie to sick children’s homes and give him a ride to help give them a boost, and I still took him to weddings to transport the bride and groom for free. I don’t charge because Herbie isn’t employed!”

Luke is tight-lipped about how much he paid for the H2, but another model used in the fourth film, Herbie Goes Bananas, sold for £80,000 at auction in 2015. His insurers capped his car’s value at £100,000 sterling.

He said: “I will never reveal how much I paid because no money went into it. My late wife, Helen, never asked. She wasn’t interested. All she wanted to know was that I was happy.”

Luke’s love of his Bug has landed him a role in a new Volkswagen ad celebrating genuine VW fans. His car, which has just 85,000 miles on the clock and can cruise all day at 80 mph, will be among those featured in the YourWagen ad.

Luke admits that he’s “getting along a bit” now, but his desire to show off Herbie’s brilliance won’t stop, even if he’s now starting to take things slower. He said: “I’ve reached an age now where it’s getting harder and harder to get around and do a lot of things.

“The brain wants to, but the body can’t. So I’m slowing down a bit, but I’ll always tickle Herbie and enjoy driving him. It’s nice to make people happy. When you see people smiling as you drive down the road, it’s a great feeling.”