Herbie goes Bananas at the Mount

Saturday, 29 June 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

This year is a very special year for Volkswagens in Sri Lanka as it was 60 years ago that the first consignment of VW Beetles were introduced to the driving public of Ceylon which began the wave of Beetle mania, having won the hearts of over 3,500 happy homes within a span of seven years prior to the restriction era that came into effect in the early sixties.

As Beetles across the globe celebrated World Volkswagen Day last week, in honour of the day and further attaining Diamond Jubilee status, the Volkswagen Beetle Owners Club (VBOC) with a membership of over 250, partnered with Mount Lavinia Hotel for a ‘Bug Drive’ of jubilation. MLH is in partnership with the VBOC for the third consecutive year to highlight the only car with an international significance and indeed a national day. Thanks to its curvy bug like looks, the Beetle has created a sense of joy for many generations of owners who have included the family car as a member of the family which may be the factor of the world dedicating a day for the diminutive bug that is celebrated around the globe. The Diamond Jubilee of Volkswagen in Sri Lanka in keeping to the 60 years of loyal service this little car has rendered to its owners will take off on a jubilation drive on the evening of Sunday, 7 July from Colombo and will make way to the grand finale at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. The celebration does not end there as Mount Lavinia Hotel will kick start a promotion called ‘Herbie goes Bananas at Mount’. The promotion will begin on 8 and end on 13 July where an all-day banana menu awaits you. The menu includes an a la carte menu with Lavinia style red banana and spicy prawn salad, crispy sour banana and coriander chicken salad, mixed seafood and banana gratin served in banana blossom with buttered vegetable and steamed rice, seared lamb rump served over Cuban banana mofongo with chimichurri sauce, Caribbean-style bananas with vanilla scoop, banana pie with Malibu sauce and much more. The highlight of the day will be the showing off of the ole classics in all ages and colours at the hotel courtyard. The classics will show off the rough and tumble of the car and indeed the owners’ pride, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night till 13 July. So come and go bananas over the bugs. If you have a Beetle and would love to participate, please contact the Beetle Club Secretary Nalin S. Perera on 0770333444 for further information on registering for the event.