10 interesting facts about Walt Disney’s Herbie The Love Bug

It’s a trope revisited in film time and time again — from children’s favourite Cars to television’s Knight Rider and its anthropomorphic car character Kitt to the evil Christine, plus many more.

The humanising of machinery, turning the inanimate into something alive, charms. In 1968, some five years after a British rock band had everyone in a spin, a new type of mania swept the world. This time it was ‘Beetle’ mania. Its protagonist: a Volkswagen named Herbie.

Walt Disney’s The Love Bug, the first Herbie film in 1968, grossed an estimated US $51 million. For decades since its release it’s been a kid’s favourite, and it would return as a sequel and television series a number of times. Its most recent version was Herbie: Fully Loaded with Lindsay Lohan at the peak of her celebrity in 2005. The Love Bug’s endearing quality endures to this day but there are many little-known, super interesting facts behind the very first film that featured Herbie.

1. The movie is based on a story ‘Car, Boy, Girl’ written by a man named Gordon Buford in 1961. No one really knows whether Walt Disney bought the rights from Gordon or if Walt snapped-up the script after Gordon sent it to him. Gordon’s story never saw the light of day anywhere else.

2. Herbie’s first stunt driver was Carey Loftin, a veteran stunt driver who featured in a number of other Hollywood films.

3. One of the VWs in the original film was fitted with a Porsche engine for extra performance.

4. They settled on The Love Bug title but many others were considered. Our least favourite is Bugboom, which seems random. But The Magic Volksy is a nice title, if overly literal.

5. Walt Disney passed away two years before the movie was made. It is believed to be the last action film Walt Disney authorised himself.

6. Herbie The Love Bug was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Normally, the interior would be white but for the film they painted it a grey colour that would not reflect studio lights.

7. Hundreds of Volkswagen Beetles were used in the films. Many were fixed up and found new owners.

8. The number ’53’ was chosen by producer Bill Walsh who was a fan of baseball player Don Drysdale. Don’s number was 53. The colour scheme of the car was a patriotic red, white and blue.

9. In the first film Herbie is never referred to as a Volkswagen. This is because VW were hesitant to promote the film but, after its runaway success, VW were oh-so happy to help out with subsequent features.

10. Dean Jones, the actor who played main character Jim Douglas, sneaks in another appearance in the same film as another character. Hiding behind a beard he appeared as a hippie he says: “We all prisoners, chicky baby. We all locked in.”

We have Herbies with heaps of character available for sale. Find a Volkswagen Beetle on carsales today.

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