AMHERST, NS – Herbie the Love Bug was well behaved during a recent visit to Victoria Square in Amherst.
“Herbie is a 1971 bug,” said Herbie’s owner, Ernie Myles. “I’ve had if for about 10 years. It drives really nice.”
Myles and his family and friends recently drove Herbie and five other bugs from Hantsport to Amherst to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film "Herbie, the Love Bug" at Victoria Square.
Myles has 25 antique cars, including 12 bugs.
His oldest vehicle, a 1915 Ford Model-T, was purchased in Amherst.
He almost purchased the car at an estate sale about 10 years ago but decided it was best to let another man buy it.
“There was a guy bidding against me and the bid got quite high, and this other guy came over and told me I was wasting my time because the guy bidding against me was sent to buy the car and wasn’t given an upper limit on the price,” said Myles. “I let him buy it. He was in his 80’s. He had it for a year or so, and he found out I was bidding against him so he called me up and asked if I was still interested in buying it, and I said ‘Yeah.’”
Myles is the third owner of the vehicle.
“The fellow who had the estate sale bought it new,” said Myles.
Myles recently took his stable of old cars to the car show in Yarmouth.
He has traveled to the car show in Amherst at Robb’s Centennial Complex many times, but believes the show might attract bigger crowds, like the kind seen in Yarmouth, if it was moved to Victoria Street.
“I’ve been up here 20 years. My son has missed only two cars shows since they started 27 years ago, and they don’t get big crowds at the car show at Robb’s Field,” said Myles. “Maybe they need to bring in here (to Victoria Street). Yarmouth changed the venue and it really made 100 per cent difference.”
