A Hitchin wedding company has added a 50-year-old VW Beetle nicknamed 'Doug the Bug' to its fleet.

The perfect companied to cream coloured VW Microbus 'Penny', the latest set of wheels have been unveiled by Lucky Penny Weddings.

The company was launched in 2021 by entrepreneur Kate Peto who swapped her pre-pandemic job at a local care home to start her own business.

Started with the vintage 1966 split-screen microbus, Lucky Penny Weddings has since added a 1976 Triumph Stag and a 60-year-old Jaguar MK2 to its garage.

And now Doug - who dates from 1974 - is available to happy couples looking at add a bit of glamour to their special day.

While no longer in production, no vehicle in history has had a longer production run than the Beetle, which was produced for 65 years.

But that does not stop having his own personality, and offering something different to a wedding day.

He is also set to feature in a special canine-themed photoshoot in the coming weeks.

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Doug seats two people and the chauffeur (image by Alexandra Arlett)

Lucky Penny has announced a collaboration with Petculiar Little Shop in Hitchin - which specialises in Naturopathic Pet Health - to offer a shoot with Doug and six lucky dogs.

All the owners need to do is email Halle@petculiar_est2001 with photos of your dog to be in with a chance of winning.

Organisers do require the dog to be well behaved around other dogs.

And to coincide with the addition of Doug to the fleet, Kate has shared some interesting Beetle facts.

Fact One: 'Volkswagen' in German translates to 'people's car'.

"This appropriate name suits the adaptive Beetle, though it has countless other nicknames in various countries, including 'ladybug,' 'turtle' and 'frog,' Kate says.

Fact Two: The car is the same size as the heart of a blue whale! Their hearts can also weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Beetles can weigh up to 3,200 pounds.

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Fact Three: Spawned 'The Thing'

"Another interesting and unique VW product, The Thing car was a spin-off of the Beetle," Kate explains.

"Unfortunately, The Thing never took off like the Beetle. Its odd, boxy shape just didn't catch on with many drivers."

Over the coming weeks Kate will be showcasing two more new sets of wheels, and is encouraging couples to consider adding a touch of style to their wedding.

Find out more about Lucky Penny Weddings here.

Lucky Penny Weddings sponsors Hitchin Nub News.

Without community-minded partners like them we would not be able to produce dedicated, clickbait-free news to the people of Hitchin.