Herbie Vs Horace

The History of Herbie, a very popular VW bug in movies

The Volkswagen Beetle is the only vehicle you can see driving down the roadblocks away. They are an amazing design and can be enjoyed in many ways.

The Volkswagen Bug is also known by the names "Super Beetle," Superbug," and "Kaifer". Type 1 was the first car to be manufactured. Production continued until 2003. The Volkswagen New Beetle, which was first produced in 1938, continued production until 2003 for Type 1. No VW Beetle, regardless of its year of manufacture, is as popular as the 1963 Love Bug model.

Herbie: The 1963 Volkswagen Beetle

Walt Disney Productions brought to life a fictional, sentient, anthropomorphic, almost-autonomous 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle called Herbie in 1968. Herbie wore the number 53 with the "gumball circle" pattern. The middle featured the red, blue, and white stripes. With only minor changes, the car's appearance was consistent throughout the four films and 1982 television series. Herbie received a complete overhaul in 1997.

Disney created the autonomous effect of Herbie driving by himself using a complex system of pulleys and sprockets that were connected to a second steering column underneath the front seat for a rear-seat driver. The second set of pedal assemblies, clutch cables, and a shifter extension were also included.

1968: The Love Bug

The movie is based upon the 1961 Gordon Buford book Boy, Girl, Car. The first movie of the Herbie series, "The Love Bug", follows Herbie's adventures with Jim Douglas, his driver, and Carole Bennett, his love interest.

Jim's friend Tennessee Steinmetz plays an additional role in the movie, creating art out of used car parts. Peter Thorndyke is the antagonist of the movie. He is the owner of the showroom and an SCCA national champion. Jim visits the showroom to defend Peter's nameless Herbie, and the car miraculously arrives at his doorstep.

Carole, Peter’s sales assistant/mechanic convinces him to drop grand theft auto charges for the car and let Jim make the payments for his Beetle. Jim soon realizes Herbie is a person with a mind of its own and suspects Peter has conned Him. Tennessee suggests that Herbie could be a sentient, inanimate object capable of developing feelings.

Jim returns home with a brand new Lamborghini 400GT and plans to sell Herbie back at Peter when the Beetle takes off on its own. Jim intervenes just before Herbie decides to drive off the bridge. Jim stops Herbie just before he decides to drive off the bridge.

The film's ending shows that Wu's wager with Herbie comes to fruition. Wu wins the El Dorado, and Peter's showroom is taken over by Wu. Jim and Carole, newlyweds, are chauffeured by Herbie on their honeymoon.

1974: Herbie Rides Again

In 1974, "Herbie Rides Again" was the next film in the Herbie series. It features Herbie, her grandmother, Grandma Steinmetz (aunt Tennessee Steinmetz), Nicole Harris, their displaced neighbor, and other sentient machines, a 20th-century orchestrion, and an old cable car called Old No. 22.

Alonzo Hawk, a notorious real estate magnate who is also a demolition baron, is the antagonist of this movie. He plans to build his new 130-story Hawk Plaza. The only thing that stands in his way is Grandma Steinmetz's firehouse. Alonzo's efforts to expel the woman and all her residents leave him empty-handed until Willoughby Whitfield visits him, his nephew as a lawyer.

Grandma Steinmetz likes the lawyer because of his youthful appearance and great manners. This is the opposite of Alonzo and his henchmen. Nicole tells Willoughby about the experiences Alonzo put them through. Nicole then hits him with a broiled lobster and lands him at Fisherman's Wharf. He tells his uncle that he won't do his dirty work anymore.

Alonzo attempts to win one over Grandma Steinmetz, Nicole, and Willoughby at the end of the film by convincing them that he has reached a truce. Alonzo tries to bring down the firehouse while they are all out. Herbie gathers Nicole and Willoughby and assembles several VW Beetles to chase Alonzo's army of earthmovers. He takes advantage of the irrational fear Alonzo has of Herbie.

Nicole and Willoughby are married. Herbie rides through an arch made by all his Volkswagen Beetle friends.

1977: Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

In 1977's Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo, Jim Douglas, the original driver, and Wheely Applegate, his new mechanic, take part in Trans-France Race. This road race takes place from Paris, France, to Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo), Monaco.

Jim, Wheely, and Herbie have to overcome three main opponents - Bruno Von Stickle and Claude Gilbert. Diane, the Trans-France's only female driver, initially dislikes Jim because of Herbie's reaction to Giselle (a Lancia Scorpion) in her car. Her attitude changes after Jim and Herbie rescue her and Giselle when they crash into the lake at the end of the race.

Two thieves steal a French diamond from France and conceal it in Herbie's gas tank, avoiding being captured by police. Herbie resists all attempts by the thieves to return the diamond. Soon it is discovered that the Inspector is actually "Double X," a code name used by the thieves and mastermind behind the entire museum robbery. It ends up being a true love story, with Jim and Diane falling in love, Wheely falling in love with the Monte Carlo trophy girl, and Herbie with Giselle.

1980: Herbie Goes Bananas

Pete Stancheck inherits Herbie's legacy from Jim Douglas. Davy "D.J." Stancheck, his friend, travels to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico to retrieve Herbie. Johns travel to Puerta Vallarta (Mexico) to find Herbie. They meet Paco who provides them with directions but also pickpockets them. Paco pickpockets the third villain who plans to steal gold from the Inca ruins. However, he is quickly caught when it becomes apparent that the film showing where the gold is located was stolen from them. Paco is then taken to Herbie's luggage compartment, and loaded onto the Sun Princess bound towards Rio de Janeiro.

Herbie is to enter the Brazil Grand Premio. But, on the way, Melissa, an anthropology student, and Louise, her aunt, meet them. Louise is looking for a husband to marry her niece. Pete pretended to court Melissa after Herbie wreaks havoc on board in the hope that Louise will sponsor her race.

The thieves track Paco down and threaten to seize Herbie if they don't get the film. It was accidentally left in Pete's pocket by mistake. They all arrive at a bullfight where Herbie defeats the bull. Pete, DJ, and Louise later pick them up and explain what happened.

They locate the others in a small community where Melissa's bus finally crashed. As the rainstorm rages, the thieves steal a large, gold disc from the wreckage. Herbie "eats" the disc and locates Paco. The group then travels to the next major city, camouflaged with bananas. The thieves take the disc and place it in the plane of Herbie, who then bites off the tail of the plane, trying to transport it to the university. Herbie will eventually race alongside Paco, and the final scene shows them all toasting to the victory.

1982: Herbie, The Love Bug (TV Series).

From March 17th to April 14th, 1982, the five-episode TV series aired on CBS. This replacement series, which aired mid-season, was Herbie's last production before the 1997 TV movie. Dean Jones, who plays Jim Douglas, sings the theme song, "Herbie, My Best Friend".

Jim, along with Bo Phillips, is now a retired racecar driver and instructor at the Famous Driving School. Jim and Herbie stop a robbery that is in progress and save a young divorcée named Susan MacLane. Susan is a bank employee and a mother to Robbie, Julie, and Matthew. Jim and Susan fall in love. Randy Bigelow, her ex-boyfriend, attempts to end the relationship. In the episode "Herbie the Best Man," aired April 7, 1982, they get married.

1997: The Love Bug (Made-for-Television Movie).

Jim Douglas, who was also the original Herbie owner in previous movies, is the story's narrator. Simon Moore III, an egotistical racer, tells the story of Herbie the Volkswagen Beetle that he bought from Herbie. He then throws Herbie into a junkyard after they lose a race. Hank Cooper, a small-town mechanic, enters a junk car racing race and is awarded "the last choice", forcing him to buy a scrapped Herbie.

Hank manages to get Herbie moving with the help of Roddy, his friend. Herbie wins the race, expressing his gratitude to Hank. The judges are shocked to learn that a small car can win such a race with no tricks or hijinx. Hank's ex-girlfriend Alex demands more and takes her on a ride. Their romance is revived during this ride, much like the movie in which Herbie drove Jim and Carole.

Simon wants to find out why Herbie caused him to lose, and Hank won. He seeks out Dr. Gustav Stumpfel, the original car's builder. Herbie was built by Dr. Stumpfel shortly after World War II. Simon asks Stumpfel to make another model in pure black and he names him Horace, the Hate Bug.

Simon commands Horace to find Herbie, destroy him, and Horace succeeds. Herbie is left in a heap of crushed metal. Hank realizes that it is too late for Herbie and gives him a funeral. Jim arrives at the funeral with Dr. Stumpfel. He examines the remains of Herbie and decides that he can be rebuilt. Jim is the one who has the honor of starting Herbie for the first time after he's been rebuilt.

Simon challenges Hank to a race with Horace or Herbie. Despite Simon and Horace’s sabotage, Herbie wins despite Herbie cutting Herbie in half using Horace’s laser. Horace, who tried to push Herbie off the cliff, falls to his death. Simon and his accomplice are both taken into custody. Hank and Alex leave the film in love with Herbie at the end.

2005: Herbie: Fully Loaded

Maggie Peyton is the youngest member of Peyton Racing's team. Her father takes Maggie to the junkyard to purchase her a car for her college graduation. This is the final installment in the Herbie series. Her father takes Maggie to Kevin, her mechanic friend. Kevin agrees to take Herbie along to a car show in order to purchase parts for him. Herbie tricks Maggie into dressing up in a racing suit and helmet to challenge Trip Murphy, NASCAR champion. Herbie wins the race by a hair.

Kevin suggests Maggie race again, despite her father's negative feelings about the topic after a road racing accident many years ago. Maggie and Herbie beat all other cars in the local race competition. Herbie is jealous of Trip's desire to race for pink slips and Maggie's growing need for Trip's stock vehicle. Herbie deliberately loses the race and is towed away by Maggie's father.

Charisma, Maggie's friend, encourages her to take Herbie back from Trip who had already entered him in a demolition derby. Maggie runs onto the field and begs Herbie for her. They win the derby narrowly escaping destruction.

Trip warns Maggie, Herbie, and others at the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series that it will be dangerous. Herbie begins the race slowly, but quickly picks up speed and passes other cars before making his first pit stop. Herbie is quickly boxed in but Maggie escapes by driving directly over the car in front, damaging Herbie’s oil system. Kevin uses a portion from the New Beetle Herbie had been watching for the whole film to get Herbie on track.

The trip is eventually taken by ambulance. Kevin then kisses Maggie. The New Beetle Herbie is interested in is also found to have its own mind.

What a VW Bug can do for your life

A Volkswagen Beetle is not a car that you would consider making a huge splash on the racing circuit. Because of its charming exterior and unorthodox racing capabilities, this may be why Disney chose it.

Despite Herbie Goes Bananas being the film with the lowest box office gross, momentum was rekindled when the final installment, which came out in 2005, made more than the original movie at the box office. Although there are no indications of another movie or series, Herbie has appeared in various films and television shows throughout the years.

You might be impressed by the VW Bugs next time you pass one.