Herbie(VII)
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Herbie the Love Bug is a beloved 1963 Volkswagen Beetle appearing in several Disney & non-Disney projects, both as itself & as several minor roles.
Herbie received his first on-screen credit in the 1969 hit 'The Love Bug'. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, 'The Love Bug' featured Herbie saving the day as he fueled a down-on-his-luck race car driver's quest for victory and romance. Initially unmarked and all white, Herbie was emblazoned with his famous number '53' to compete in the races. 'The Love Bug' was one of the top-grossing films of 1969.
Herbie then took the title role in 'Herbie Rides Again' (1974), 'Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo' (1977) and 'Herbie Goes Bananas' (1980). He also had a television career, with the short-lived TV series 'Herbie The Love Bug' (1982), the 1997 made-for-TV film 'The Love Bug' (1997), and "Herbie: Fully Loaded" (2005). Along the way, he inspired many imitators and collected die-hard fans.
Herbie got his name from a Buddy Hackett comedy routine. In his Las Vegas stage show, Hackett joked about a snow bunny who only dates guys named Herbie. Herbie's number 53 came from baseball player Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Producer Bill Walsh was a fan, and used his jersey number on Herbie. Herbie's official factory color is Pearlweiss (pearl white) which is a creamy, non-metallic white.
Oddly, Herbie is never referred to as a Volkswagen or a Beetle in the first film. He is called 'the Douglas Special' or 'the little car'. All of the Volkswagen branding was removed from the car as well. However, Volkswagen was on board for the second film and beyond, and the name and branding returned.
Herbie received his first on-screen credit in the 1969 hit 'The Love Bug'. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, 'The Love Bug' featured Herbie saving the day as he fueled a down-on-his-luck race car driver's quest for victory and romance. Initially unmarked and all white, Herbie was emblazoned with his famous number '53' to compete in the races. 'The Love Bug' was one of the top-grossing films of 1969.
Herbie then took the title role in 'Herbie Rides Again' (1974), 'Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo' (1977) and 'Herbie Goes Bananas' (1980). He also had a television career, with the short-lived TV series 'Herbie The Love Bug' (1982), the 1997 made-for-TV film 'The Love Bug' (1997), and "Herbie: Fully Loaded" (2005). Along the way, he inspired many imitators and collected die-hard fans.
Herbie got his name from a Buddy Hackett comedy routine. In his Las Vegas stage show, Hackett joked about a snow bunny who only dates guys named Herbie. Herbie's number 53 came from baseball player Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Producer Bill Walsh was a fan, and used his jersey number on Herbie. Herbie's official factory color is Pearlweiss (pearl white) which is a creamy, non-metallic white.
Oddly, Herbie is never referred to as a Volkswagen or a Beetle in the first film. He is called 'the Douglas Special' or 'the little car'. All of the Volkswagen branding was removed from the car as well. However, Volkswagen was on board for the second film and beyond, and the name and branding returned.
