Famous cars from the big screen like “Herbie” roll on the country streets

Cars have become an essential part of many of the successes of the big screen and have even grabbed the spotlight. And although it seems only a bit of a fantasy, the truth is that it not only exists in reality, but also rolls on Colombian roads.

For example, the historical Volkswagen Beetle, which has appeared in several films such as The Love Bug, from 1969; Herbie, the 2005 Disney classic and Ganz, starting in 2019, available on Amazon Prime, has more than 1,427 units in circulation in the country, according to numbers from Andemos.

So far, 2009 has been the year with the highest sales with 1,006 transfers.

“Even after 2003, when production ended, people continued to use it, search and retrieve, and it is still valid despite the years. The technology is clearly not the same today, but it is still very reliable and desirable,” says Rodrigo Cormen, a collector. Cars in Volkswagen.

The Chevrolet Camaro, best known as the “Bumblebee” from Transformers, is one of the “famous” cars in the country. In total, 840 and 14 have been added to the fleet so far this year.

The originals used in the photography were auctioned in 2019 by GM itself, the money was sent for charitable causes and is not allowed to be circulated on the road.

“The film makes the car famous for its removal from everyday life and anonymity. This makes collectors interested in it because they will have greater appraisal potential,” explains Roberto Negrinis, book collector, historian and director Carros y Clásicos.

For an expert, the main thing, if he wants to become a collector in this market, is to choose the models he likes, because it is a very personal practice.

Also on the list is the Ford Thunderbird made famous by the 1991 movie Thelma & Louise, in which two friends go on a road trip in a blue convertible. As of December 2021, the country had 111 registered vehicles.

The Dodge Charger also attracts attention since its appearance in the first Fast and the Furious movie, where Vin Diesel drove a 1970 model. In the country there are 36 registered in the fleet.

Finally, there’s the Aston Martin DBS that accompanied James Bond in the 1964 quote, “James Bond vs. Goldfinger.” Of this exclusive model, which was silver-gray in the movie, there is only one in Colombia.

The car returned to the screen in 2021 in Bond’s latest production No Time to Die, which was driven by Daniel Craig and will be sold at Christie’s auction for approximately US$2 million.