Herbie (tree)

"Herbie" was an American elm tree located in Yarmouth, Maine, USA. It stood by present-day East Main Street (State Route 88), at its intersection with Yankee Drive, between 1793 and January 19 2010. At 110 feet in height, it was, between 1997 and the date of its felling, the oldest and largest of its kind in New England. The tree, which partially stood in the front yard of a private residence, also had a 20-foot circumference and (until mid-2008) a 93-foot crown spread. It was so-named when children witnessed some of its diseased limbs being sawn off. "What are you going to do to Herbie? Don't cut Herbie!" they cried, and the name stuck.

A plaque on its trunk stated:

This tree is hereby designated
a historic landmark to be
honored and preserved for
future generations.

Elm Research Institute
Harrisville, N.H. 03450

On May 1 1834, the town gave Herbie some company by planting rows of elm trees along East Elm Street. From 1957 onward, however, most of them succumbed to Dutch elm disease. As of 2003, only twenty of Yarmouth's original 739 elms had survived.

Herbie

Herbie the Love Bug is an anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, a character that is featured in several Disney motion pictures starting with the 1968 feature film The Love Bug. He has a mind of his own and is capable of driving himself, and is also a serious contender in auto racing competitions. Throughout most of the franchise, Herbie is distinguished by red, white and blue racing stripes from front to back bumper, a racing-style number "53" on the front luggage compartment lid, doors, and engine lid, and a yellow-on-black '63 California license plate with the lettering "OFP 857".

History

Herbie's origins are firmly established in The Love Bug (1968). He was bought from Peter Thorndyke's showroom by San Francisco socialite Mrs. Van Luit for her upstairs maid, but returned shortly afterwards due to reliability problems, and purchased by race-driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones), who had earlier stood up for him against the pompous Thorndyke (David Tomlinson). Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett), Jim's friend and housemate, names the car "Herbie" after his uncle Herb, a professional boxer whose broken nose greatly resembled the hood of a Volkswagen Beetle.

The Love Bug

The Love Bug (1968), sometimes referred to as Herbie the Love Bug, is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie. It was based on the 1961 book Car, Boy, Girl by Gordon Buford.

The movie follows the adventures of Herbie, Herbie's driver, Jim Douglas (Dean Jones), and Jim's love interest, Carole Bennett (Michele Lee). It also features Buddy Hackett as Jim's enlightened, kind-hearted friend, Tennessee Steinmetz, a character who creates "art" from used car parts. English actor David Tomlinson portrays the villainous Peter Thorndyke, owner of an auto showroom and an SCCA national champion who sells Herbie to Jim and eventually becomes Jim's racing rival.

Plot

Herbie (disambiguation)

Herbie may refer to:

Fictional characters named Herbie:

People named Herbie:

People nicknamed Herbie:

Other:

See also