Call it the Fillmore effect.
In the weeks after the Pixar-Disney movie “Cars” was released, we saw a lot more eBay sellers mention the hippie character in the film when they were trying to unload their Volkswagen minibuses from the 1960s.
“Cars” didn’t have an effect on just minibuses, either. We also saw the value of 1950s Hudson cars, like the Doc Hudson character in the film, jump sharply. Route 66 businesses saw a sharp uptick in business, as it was the setting of much of the film.
It also doesn’t hurt that Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, who is the unofficial inspiration of Fillmore in “Cars,” drives a VW minibus from event to event on the Mother Road.
The new film “Little Miss Sunshine,” which also “stars” a balky, yellow-and-white VW minibus, also is fueling the interest.
The VW minibus phenomenon is examined by Valerie Takahama of the Orange County Register. Be sure to click on the “More Photos” link to see some more of the VW photos.
In case you’re interested, the best online source by far for VW minibuses is the TheSamba.com site.