About the VW Beetle Special Editions | Herbie

<< Contents 1968 Herbie - USA
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Fictional 'Special Edition'
1997 'New Herbie The Love Bug' from 'Wonderful World of Disney'

LOve Bug movie title logo


A Volkswagen Beetle is given its name by an enlightened mechanic named Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) in Disney's 1968 movie 'The Love Bug'. His uncle Herb who was a middleweight boxer had a broken nose which he said resembled the front of the car.

1968 'The Love Bug' stillHerbie is based on a L87 Pearl White 1963 Model 117 Volkswagen Type 1 Deluxe Sunroof with yellow-on-black California license plates OFP 857. Several Beetles were used in 'The Love Bug' filming with at least one built by Empi. For the race sequences Herbie was fitted with a Porsche 356 Super 90 engine (1600cc twin Solex), Porsche finned drum brakes, Koni shocks and Empi rear camber compensator. Don DrysdaleRacing speed was reportedly 115mph/185km/h. Race number 53 was supposedly chosen because it was Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale's uniform number (as commented by a member of the original film's production staff.)

Original 'The Love Bug' Empi car
Original 'The Love Bug' Empi car rear
Porsche Super 90 engine
Original 'The Love Bug' movie Empi Herbie owned by Greg Carr.
 

Walt Disney logoHerbie in movies and TV: 'The Love Bug' (December, 1968 - limited US release; March, 1969 - full release), 'Herbie Rides Again' (1974), 'Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo' (1977), 'Herbie Goes Bananas' (1980), 'Herbie The Love Bug' (TV, five episodes - 1982), 'New Herbie The Love Bug' (TV, part of 'The Wonderful World Of Disney' - 1997), 'Herbie: Fully Loaded' (2005)

NASCAR Herbie at NY Auto Show 2005
'Herbie: Fully Loaded' (2005)
See also 1974 The Love Bug