Herbie the Love Bug is the latest “fan-friendly” element to be added to Spinners' promotional lineup LeLacheur Park.

“Kids go bonkers over Herbie,” said Jon Goode, director of corporate communications for the Lowell Spinners. “We park him out front before the game and people's faces just light up as soon as they see him. You see them pointing from across the street.”

“Hey,

it's Herbie,” said 12-year-old Zack Wilkins of Burlington. “Can we ride it around?”

“That movie was cool. How did they get it here?” asked his cousin, 12-year-old Jordan Castle.

The vintage 1964 Volkswagen Beetlewas introduced to Spinners' Nation during a special Herbie the Love Bug Night on June 28, an event that almost didn't happen.

Mark Sofia, a chiropractor from Lawrence and an self-proclaimed Herbie expert, agreed to let the Spinners use a replica of the car, which he had created. But after agreeing to loan the car to the Spinners, Sofia was contacted by Disney, which said it wanted to use the car for their Hollywood premier of the movie, Herbie: Fully Loaded.

It took Sofia six weeks to create a second replica of the car, which the Spinners will feature all season.

“It was a little bit of a challenge to get all the parts,” said Sofia, who is working on a third car made up of scrap parts from the movie. “But if you know where to look it's a lot easier. Plus, I got a lot of help from the people at Little Car Care in Lawrence. They're real good at helping me out when I get over my head with a project. After all, I'm a doctor, not a mechanic.”

At the park, Herbie makes himself known, posing for pictures and getting in on the act between innings. Kids are invited to ride in the back seat and assist the staff during the T-shirt tosses. Jennifer Schultz of Lowell got to ride in Herbie between innings last night as part of her seventh birthday.

“That was cool,” she said. “I loved the movie, too. It didn't go up on its side, though.”

“This is one of the best promotions we've ever done,” Goode said.

In much the same manner as the Canaligator, the organization would love to make Herbie available at various charity and civic events throughout the Greater Lowell Area.

“We take a lot of pride in being part of this community and this is just another vehicle for us, pardon the pun,” Goode said. “How cool would it be to tell your friends that you sat or drove in Herbie the Love Bug?”

To invite Herbie to a charity or civic event contact Jon Goode via e-mail at jgoode@lowellspinners.com.

Dennis Shaughnessey's e-mail address is dshaughnessey@lowellsun.com.