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Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star Ratings10 Fun Facts About Herbie: The Love Bug
The 1960s Disney classic made a star out of the VW Beetle and spawned a long-running film franchise.
Automotive Underdog Story
Long before the days of Lightning McQueen, there was Herbie, a sentient 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. Herbie was the star, along with Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett, of the 1969 Disney film The Love Bug. The underdog story of an unassuming VW with extraordinary racing abilities was a big hit for Disney, launched a series of sequels, and forever imprinted in our collective imagination the vintage Beetle as a plucky little car with a big personality.
You might be familiar with The Love Bug, but we’ve unearthed some fun facts about the movie you might not have encountered before.
Herbie Could’ve Been a Different Car
That Herbie be a Volkswagen Beetle wasn’t determined in the script. Therefore, producers did a casting call for candidate cars. These included Volvos, MGs, even some Toyotas. But according to producer Bill Walsh, it was only the Beetle that garnered a real reaction from the crew. The other cars just couldn’t match the natural personality of the little Volkswagen.
Buddy Hackett Gave Herbie His Name
Herbie’s name wasn’t set either at the beginning of production, either. Comedian Buddy Hackett plays the part of mechanic and spiritual seeker Tennessee Steinmetz. Herbie’s name was taken from a stand-up joke of Hackett’s involving a Germain ski instructor. Appropriately, it’s Tennessee who christens Herbie with his name, this time after Tennessee’s boxer uncle.
Origins of the Herbie Story
Though it was never published, the Herbie story was originally written by Gordon Buford in 1961 under the title Car, Boy, Girl. Buford said he got the idea for an anthropomorphized car after how his parents used to treat their cars like they did their horses, as having distinct personalities.
Dodgy Alternate Titling
Disney also played with alternate titling before settling on The Love Bug. Titles such as Bugboom, The Runaway Wagon, Wonderbeetle, and The Magic Volksy were all under consideration.
No Volkswagen Logos
In The Love Bug, Disney producers didn’t have permission to feature the Volkswagen logo in the film. In fact, the car isn’t ever referred to as a Beetle either, instead Herbie was referenced as “the Douglass special,” “the little car,” or “the compact car.” Despite their best efforts, a few glimpses of the VW logo do make it on screen, both in a shot of the brake pedal and shots of the ignition key.
Herbie the Dodgers Fan
Herbie got his signature blue and red racing stripe and number 53 thanks to producer and Dodgers fan Bill Walsh. Herbie’s look was a reference to the Dodger’s star Don Drysdale who had recently pitched 58 and 2/3rds innings in the 1968 season.
Movie Car Mods
Like many other famous movie cars, there were many iterations of Herbie used in the filming. A total of 21 Beetles were used in filming The Love Bug. One version had a bus engine quipped while others carried Porsche engines, Porsche brakes, and even Indy 500 racing tires. (Read about our favorite movie cars here.)
Dean Jones Double Duty
In The Love Bug, Dean Jones starred as the down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas, but he also played the role of the bearded hippy at the drive-in. In fact, the 1969 movie set in San Francisco has a number of similar hippy jokes which might date the movie but also add to its unique ‘60s charm.
Box Office Success
The Love Bug was a big hit for Disney and was, at the time, their best performing movie after Mary Poppins (1964). Perhaps not coincidentally, the two movies share the same director, Robert Stevenson. The movie would also be the last live action movie Walt Disney would help oversee prior to his passing in 1966.
The Sequels
For our money, it’s The Love Bug that we’ll always think of first when we see a vintage Beetle with the number 53 emblazoned across the hood.
The Love Bug spawned a number of sequels that include Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), a short-lived TV sitcom Herbie, the Love Bug (1982), a made-for-TV remake of The Love Bug starring Bruce Campbell (1997), and Herbie Fully Loaded starring Lindsey Lohan (2005). Like many such franchises, these sequels fail to live up to the verve and charm of the original.
