About the Movie
Book

 

• was based on story "Car, Boy, Girl" written by Gordon Buford in 1961

Movie

• The Love Bug, 1969
• The film was the biggest American box office hit of 1969, and the second highest-grossing _Disney film of all time after Mary Poppins.

Stars

• Jim Douglas-Dean Jones
• Carole Bennett-Michele Lee
• Tennessee Steinmetz-Buddy Hackett
• Peter Thorndyke-David Tomilson

Sequels

• Herbie Rides Again, 1974
• Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, 1977
• Herbie Goes Bananas, 1980

• The Love Bug, TV Series, 1982
• The Love Bug made for TV movie, 1997

Paper Car

Herbie Paper Car

About Herbie
The Love Bug

 

• The original Herbie was a 1963 Model 117 Deluxe Sunroof Sedan Volkswagen (VW). Disney often substituted other year VWs and modified them to resemble 1963 models.
• Upwards to 70 cars were used in all films, parades, ice shows, and promotions but only about 20 known cars survive today (three are from the original film). Many cars were destroyed in stunts during filming.
• Herbie was painted pearl white, an original 1963 VW color, color code L87.

Why was a VW chosen to be the Herbie car?

• Coincidentally, the original book did have to do with a VW bug. But a Disney employee put several small cars in the Disney parking lot one day during lunch just to see which one was the most popular. Included in the group was a brand new white VW bug  car that Walt Disney had bought for his daughter. The other cars were stared at and the employee's kicked their tires but almost everyone patted the VW.

Where did the number 53 come from?

• Bill Walsh, producer of "The Love Bug" came up with the number 53 from Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player Don Drysdale's uniform. He chose the red, white, and blue racing stripes for a patriotic theme.

Where did the name Herbie come from?

• According to Buddy Hackett, who played Tennessee Steinmetz, the name "Herbie" came from his Las Vegas ski routine, "Sorry I only date guys named Herbie."

How did Herbie drive himself?

• When you see Herbie driving without a driver, most of the cars had the driving controls in the back seat and there was a driver. He was hidden by a lace cloth, which was 3D and made to look as if Herbie had no driver. Some of the extra controls are a fork lift hydraulic system, a carbon dioxide bottle, a powerful electric motor, and operate 26 levers and buttons to control all of the doors, hood, etc.

Who was Herbie's real driver?

• The man who did most of the driving in "The Love Bug" was veteran stunt driver Carey Loftin.

Herbie's License Plate