Disney actually made four Herbie films for cinema release, all of which you should have seen. These were The Love Bug (1968), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo (1977), and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). After that, in the mid ‘80s Disney also made five episodes of a TV series called "Herbie the Matchmaker", which aired on the Wonderful World of Disney. In 1997 Disney also released a controversial ‘new’ Love Bug movie, which aired on TV in the US but has yet to be seen in Australia (we’re working on that).

In this article I'm only going to examine the first movie, the original and best Love Bug. Check out the rest of our Club Veedub website for examinations of the other three films. So if you haven't seen The Love Bug before, go down to your video store now and get it out!

The Love Bug was released in the US in early 1969, but as always we had to wait before it arrived in Australia - quite a while in fact. It officially commenced in Sydney on Thursday 18th December 1969, just in time for the school holidays. It began showing at the St James Theatre at 107-111 Elizabeth St in the city, next to David Jones (now site of the St James Centre and Arcade, opened 1973) with session times of 11, 2, 5 and 8. However, it was also showing at both Chullora Drive-In screens (7 and 8pm), as well as at Roselands Cinema and at the Metro cinemas at Bondi Junction, Crows Nest and Manly. It is sad to note that not one of these original theatres or drive-ins still exist!.

There is some evidence that there was one special advanced screening at Chullora Drive-In on 8th November 1969, organised by VW Australia and involving our friends at the VW Club of NSW. This was apparently the first showing of the film in Australia, but unfortunately the Sydney Morning Herald didn't mention it.

This Disney film is as full of fun, gags and stunts as an animated scenario, but it's more breathtaking for the kids because it's filmed for real, in San Francisco, on race tracks and mountain roads.

Delightful for children and amusing for their adult escorts, it's a modern story of magic about the adventures of an emotional little Volkswagen, Herbie, who thinks and acts for himself.

His occupants are a spruce young couple and a funny fat guy, who work as a team to run Herbie in some of the big car rallies.

It’s difficult to find any information on how the film was made, and most sources only claim that the film cars were "powered by Porsche." Presumably this means Porsche 356 motors, and we can actually check this at least once. If you look through the ViewMaster slides of The Love Bug film, find the shot of Buddy Hackett welding Herbie during the Eldorado recess. If you look closely, you can clearly see the Porsche oil filter on the engine! It isn’t visible in the movie itself. The VWs in all the later films had modified VW engines.

About 30 Beetles were required for the making of the film, ranging in years from 1962 to 1964. Unfortunately they weren't so careful in later films, and you can easily spot a model that is too early or late; but The Love Bug is pretty good in this regard. Herbie, of course, is a 1963 US-spec sunroof sedan and nothing else. Some writers have said that much of the special modification work on the film cars was done by VW themselves at Wolfsburg, but we consider that unlikely as Volkswagen never got a mention in the credits. In fact, if you look closely you’ll see that the VW logos on the front bonnet and hubcaps were removed or blanked out. VW did sponsor and promote the second film, Herbie Rides Again, but that’s another story.

The variety of stunts required was remarkable. Two wheel stunt driving (both rear and side); lurching around with tyres in all directions, apparently drunk on Irish coffee; hanging from trees; jumping lakes; and ultimately, splitting in half and the rear section winning the race (with the front coming third). Apparently Volkswagen themselves weren’t happy about this; their lawyers didn’t like their product portrayed splitting in half!

The engineers at Wolfsburg also had to make Herbie appear to drive unaided. For this a driver, hidden by lace curtains, sat right in the back of the car, his foot pedals being just behind the front seats (the back seat had been removed). This enabled shots to be taken from the side and front showing the VW to be driving itself. The driver could also, with the aid of a fork lift hydraulic system, a carbon dioxide bottle and a powerful electric motor, operate 26 levers and buttons which, among other things, opened and shut all the doors and bonnets apparently by themselves.

The hydraulic Herbie was also used in the other Love Bug sequels, but these later films demanded newer stunts as well which meant more special VWs to be constructed. Thus nobody is really sure how many Beetles were used throughout the series. Claims that the original Herbie resides today in the Wolfsburg museum are wrong. It’s a later model; it has post '65 bigger windows, and is thus the wrong one! I'll keep you in suspense about the original for a bit longer.

Videos are marvellous in that they let you stop and rewind the action, and even slow or pause it! This comes in handy for a VW enthusiast looking carefully at The Love Bug, as it can add another dimension to the enjoyment So put the video on play and follow along with me!

Firstly, here's the details of the film according to Leonard Maltin's film guide: "The Love Bug (released 1969), colour, 107 minutes. Walt Disney Productions. Director: Robert Stevenson. Starring Dean Jones, Michele Lee, Buddy Hackett, David Tomlinson, Joe Flynn, Benson Fong. Rating: ***'/2"

The initial music, played during the smash-up derby, is a mixture of snippets from some of Johann Strauss' compositions, glued together with studio joiners. I believe I can pick bits of Emperor Waltz, Perpetuum Mobile and Thunder and Lightning Polka but the ending is definitely Die Fledermaus.

The yellow "Thorndyke Special" "Over 400 cubes, dual quads, all synchro box, 0-60 in under 5," according to Jim Douglas, was in fact a Buick Apollo, and actually had a 3.5 litre all alloy V8 that was a Rover V8 forerunner.

Herbie appears at this point. This is the defining car - US 1963 Deluxe, cloth sunroof, white with grey interior, 40-BHP, radio and side aerial. Note no Wolfsburg Crest or bonnet VW badge. Reversing mirror on driver's (left) side, sealed beam headlights. The number plates, OFP-857, are the early-type black and yellow California plates.

Note how Herbie follows the cablecar - the hidden driver nearly stalls it on the hill. Jim's firehouse is due to be demolished and replaced by Marine View Apartments. This nearly happened in the next movie, but by Hawk Plaza instead. Note how Herbie's running boards appear painted white from above, but they're still rubber because you can just see the ribbing.

When Herbie squirts oil on Thorndyke's shoes, note how pitch black the oil is.

Onto the freeway and a close-up of the bonnet shows an earlier model - you can spot where the Wolfsburg Crest has been removed ('63s didn't have crests). Model cars are used for some stunt shots. Herbie's doors close better than my VWs ever have. Note the standard rubber floor mats, and the choke knob next to the ashtray; that’s odd as it shouldn't have one. ‘63s had automatic chokes.

With Carole aboard, listen to the engine RPMs! Notice the VWs in the street that they appear to pass several times. Notice here how the studio cars used for interior shots don't have roof lining, but the grab straps seem to come and go. No rear seat belt mounting holes.

I love the drag race scene, and the lockup under brakes at the end is great as well. At the burger joint, notice how Carole tries to push the door handle forward to open it! They're in a real VW here because its got headlining. The gear changes under way leave much to be desired too; listen to the clutch slip!

Carole opens the rear lid to check the motor and everything's spotless underneath. The engine starts by itself. Where does the grease on her hands come from?

Back in the workshop, Jim asks for an 11 mm wrench working on the motor; what does he use this for? Notice the US-spec taillights with red blinker lenses. Jim mentions one special car out of ten thousand; that’s only two days work for the Wolfsburg VW factory! The run down Lombard St. is interesting as in real life it’s always jammed with sightseers, has a 5 mph speed limit and a stop sign at the bottom.

It’s at this point Tennessee explains where the name "Herbie" comes from. I won't repeat it here because you can watch it for yourself!

The racing begins. Some cars you can spot Herbie racing against are Corvettes, Austin Healeys, Triumphs, E-Type Jags, Minis, Ferraris, Anglias, Sunbeam Tigers, and an AC Cobra! Herbie gets his racing paint job which he keeps forever after. Note the three part stripe, navy blue, white and red in the ratio of 2:1:1 from drivers to passengers' side, ending just on the driver's side of centre. The white stripe is part of the others because it's a different shade (pure white) from the white (creamish) of the body. The black number 53 is a special Disney sans-serif font and is enclosed on a pure white background with a thin black circle. The front bonnet number is dead centre while the rear is offset. Note Herbie's wider steel 6" VW wheels. There is tape on the headlights, and the driver's headlight is loose.

Herbie has a 2-point roll bar with corner gussets, while the driver's harness is mounted to the floor behind his seat; not good practice. Note the wiring cover still in place in the front boot, the spare tyre still in place, and how easily the bonnet closes! Herbie is described as a "Class D Special". Note the Karmann Ghia in the background.

The slipped clutch gear changes continue. When Tennessee yells "Now, Herbie!", enjoy the top-gear burnout. Thorndyke drives an E Type Jag, apparently with a V8 motor by the sound, and he doesn't wear a harness. Herbie is disqualified for having an "intake too small!" but the rest of the newspaper report is garbage.

Thorndyke would be black-flagged in real life for un-sportsmanlike driving, but so would Herbie for oil throwing (from a pipe on the right rear bumper bracket!), as well as after the race with an official right there.

Back at the firehouse, see how Herbie's racing stripes cover the sunroof but not the engine cooling slots. The motor is bone-stock! The fuel cap is on the other side for left-hand drive, of course.

What a strange complement Jim pays Carole "you're as beautiful as General Grant on the $50 bill." Would you say to some pretty girl here, "You're as beautiful as Edith D. Cowan on the new plastic $50 note"? !

After Herbie is sabotaged with Irish coffee, see how Tennessee tries to retune Herbie with painted white marks on the generator pulley, not the crank pulley. What a horrid idle! When the motor stops, the white mark mysteriously disappears.

Carole fixes it. You can see the motor is a '63 because it has a looped vacuum pipe; the '64 went straight up. Listen to the beautiful idle now - "like the song of a bluebird" indeed!

Jim buys a Lamborghini, but when Herbie smashes it, see how it changes into an E-type Jaguar. This scene, where Jim finally realises the truth about Herbie, still brings a lump to my throat to this day. Thorndyke's offer of $2000 is more than the cost of a new VW in 1968.

Herbie runs away. We know the fire station is in Russian Hill, because Lombard St is nearby, Jim caught a cable car home earlier and we saw the bay in the distance. He walks towards Telegraph Hill (Coit Tower lit on the hilltop in the distance) where Havershaw catches Herbie, and then from Chinatown finally up onto the Golden Gate Bridge, with Jim walking all the way, is about a 14 km walk!

The tollgates are incorrect they face south and you only pay coming into San Francisco. The bridge is never deserted like that, either.

And so to the big race, which is called The Eldorado, the Race For The Gold. Herbie's engine noise on the start line is dubbed, and it sounds like a sewing machine. The black-haired race commentator, with brown coat and glasses, did the voice for Roger Ramjet (listen!) The model VW on the wall chart is an oval window painted just like Herbie. From the air you can see Herbie's stock exhaust pea shooters.

Stopping for fuel, notice how high at the rear the VW sits, as if there's no engine. The car being carried by the Chinese guys is different - it’s made of fibreglass and has stock wheels. Fuel is 41 cents per gallon at Chinese Camp (10.8 cents per litre).

Herbie loses a wheel, but the drum is stationary before it hits the ground (most unlikely!) You can just see the restraining cables under the VW to stop it going over the edge. They lift the sliced spare out of the front - it’s in backwards. Note the round plate behind to keep it in position.

During the balancing act, see how Tennessee's door has been angle cut at the bottom to clear the road. The rear wheel comes off - its not a VW drum as it has spring-loaded wheel studs to fling the wheel off! The tyre Jim chases is a stock one.

That night brings my two favourite quotes from the movie. Firstly, Jim and Carole "You let that little car get under your skin, didn't you?" Carole asks. "I dunno...there's a lot of gloop been written about the bond between a man and his automobile and how he hates it sometimes, mostly how he loves it… showers gifts on it in the way of accessories, and all that… gets hysterical if somebody scratches the paint, or makes it loose face on the freeway… maybe some of those feelings got into the machinery, I don't know… Tennessee thinks so."

Is that real or what? But the best is from Mr Wu, who observes, "Small car very angry." "And very strong," Jim replies. Exclaims Mr. Wu, "the strength of forty horses!!"

Surely the VW that wheelies from the start line has a V8 in the tail - I'd bet money on it but I can't say. Herbie hangs from a tree (he’s made of fibreglass), and listen to those revs! Thorndyke lands in the front boot, so how does he fit? His face behind the glovebox lid means that the wiring cover and glovebox have disappeared.

Herbie breaks up, across the chassis and body, in a non-critical area! The lengthened car is very well done, with the central tunnel breaking near the driver's feet so that the gearstick and heater move back. The rest of the car breaks at the B-pillar. The other trick-car with the side-moving rear has a cal-look windscreen.

You can just see the caster wheels when the two halves are separate, but blowed if I know how the rear was steered!

Finally, after the race. Thorndyke is a mere mechanic, along with Havershaw (Joe Flynn, who played Capt. Binghamton in McHale's Navy). Notice how thin the grease they use is - it’s like black ink.

Herbie's beautifully restored at the end, thank goodness, complete with a bow on the front bonnet. He drives off with Carole and Jim in the back. One final thing to notice is that, looking from the vacant driver's seat, see how the steering doesn't quite match the 'scenery' as Herbie turns, and note also the choke knob and European-style washer button in the wiper switch.

Of course if you spot anything I missed, I'd sure like to hear about it! Email us here at Club Veedub. Thanks to everyone who has helped me dig up info on Herbie, particularly Greg Carr in New York state, USA, who has been most helpful and unquestionably my best reviewer so far! I'll examine the other movies in other articles which you can find here on the Club Veedub website.