History Film / TheLoveBug

* ''Herbie: Fully Loaded'' (2005) -- Now long forgotten, Herbie winds up in a junkyard where he's bought as a college graduation present for Maggie Peyton (Creator/LindsayLohan) by her overprotective father Ray Sr. (Creator/MichaelKeaton)--yet he doesn't seem to have any issues with Ray Jr. (Creator/BreckinMeyer), despite him having ''several'' crashes and is clearly not cut out for his family's racing legacy. With Herbie's help, Maggie dons the disguise of "MAXX" and goes to a car show where Herbie beats arrogant, egotistical champion racer Trip Murphy (Creator/MattDillon). Murphy demands a rematch and vows to discover the secret behind the mysterious VW bug.

Herbie also made two forays into television:

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* BilingualBackfire: In the first film, Tennessee speaks to Mr. Wu in Chinese ([[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign or an approximation of it]]), and Jim asks Tennessee to ask Mr. Wu if he would let him drive Herbie in the El Dorado race, with the condition that Mr. Wu will keep the winnings. This prompts Mr. Wu to say, in English, "Now you speak my language!".

* OnlyTheChosenMayRide: An interesting take occurs in the first movie. Herbie, the titular vehicle is a living car that moves on its own, has emotions, and even speaks to some degree (albeit only through use of his horn). He decides for himself who he'll let drive him, and anyone he doesn't like could just as easily be thrown out of the seat. Also interestingly, Alonzo Hawk actually managed to break into Herbie and drive him around...only for Herbie to halt and cause several accidents when insulted by Hawk, absolutely ''refusing'' to move despite several police cars attempting to move him. One has to wonder if Herbie was simply curious enough to allow it before that point, given his refusal to be stolen by two similarly determined men in ''Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo''.

* JerkassHasAPoint: From ''Herbie Goes Bananas'' (1980): Captain Blythe's decision to dump Herbie overboard may appear rash and petty, but the reason why he did so was because Herbie had posed a threat to the safety of the ship, crew and passengers whom he was responsible for. Herbie had been driving around inside the ship's hold ''twice'' and damaged cargo. The first time, he charged at Blythe, the second time he and Paco came up on an elevator and drove right into the ballroom, sending a chief flying across a table and into Blythe. People could have easily been hurt either time.

* ''Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo'' (1977) -- Herbie and Jim reunite for a career comeback in a French car rally with goofy mechanic Wheely Applegate (Creator/DonKnotts). To add to their troubles, two bumbling jewel thieves hide a stolen diamond in Herbie and the Love Bug ends up falling in love with another sentient racecar owned by Diane Darcy (Julie Sommars), a tough woman racer. First Herbie film directed by Vincent [=McEveety=] and shot on location in Paris and Monte Carlo.

** ‘’In Herbie Rides Again’’, Willoughby agreed to drive Herbie after disbelieving that Herbie was alive, instead believing any signs of life was a trick and that Nicole was a skilled driver. He immediately regrets it after one too many comments on Herbie’s appearance, and Nicole notes that Willoughby’s on his own by that point. This crosses over with MyCarHatesMe territory, given Herbie did this after being insulted by Willoughby a few times even before Willoughby went behind the wheel.

* ProductDisplacement: In the first movie, there are no VW emblems anywhere on Herbie and the words "VW", "Beetle", and "Volkswagen" are never uttered; the characters call him "Herbie" or "the little car". According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, VW allowed Disney to use its trademarks and logos beginning with ''Herbie Rides Again'', as the Bug's sales were in decline.

'''Thorndyke''': [[SuddenlyShouting BLAST you, Havershaw! How DARE you patronize me! I am NOT losing my nerve!]]

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Alonzo Hawk.

* MeanBrit: Peter Thorndyke in ''The Love Bug'' (1969).

* BikerBabe: Maggie in ''Fully Loaded''.

* CaptainErsatz: Herbie spawned two, Hanna Barbera's animated ''Speed Buggy'' in 1973 and Sid & Marty Krofft's live-action ''Wonderbug'' in 1976. ''Wonderbug'' is actually an Ersatz once-removed, as it's basically live-action ''Speed Buggy''. In both instances, the VW Bug became a dune buggy, but personality, the trademark eyes and fender, and goofy human companions were all the same.

* TheCameo: Made a quick appearance in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'', with Susie (from the animated Disney short ''Susie the Little Blue Coupe''), a couple light-cycles from ''Film/{{TRON}}'' and a vehicle from the Disney theme-park attraction ''Autopia'' [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/0/07/Max_aparcacoches.png/revision/latest?cb=20121018015900 parked next to him]].

* Also Creator/JohnHannah in the 1997 movie version.

** An erratically driving Herbie plows into a sidewalk fruit stand. Instead of a one-off gag, it turns out to be an important plot point, as the AsianStoreOwner whose display Herbie wrecks finds Herbie and winds up owning him.

* GameOfChicken: In ''Herbie Rides Again'', Herbie spitefully enters a Chicken tournament (complete with a medieval jousting theme) with Willoughby trapped inside, to convince him he is sentient and doesn't take kindly to insulting remarks about his appearance. Willoughby chickens out right away, but unluckily for him, Herbie most certainly does ''not'' and Willoughby is unable to steer.

** Diane Darcy in ''Monte Carlo'' loses her hostility with Jim and Herbie near the end of the film, after Herbie's seen rescuing her Lancia.

** All through the El Dorado race in ''The Love Bug'', Thorndyke goes out of his way with cheating in order to make Jim lose. But towards the end, Herbie is leading but also literally falling apart, and is blocking Thorndyke's car, making him say, "Rotten sportsmanship if you ask me!"
** Later in the same scene, there's this exchange as Thorndyke nervously keeps an eye out for Herbie:

* IChooseToStay: Diane's Lancia in ''Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo'', refusing to leave without Herbie, requiring Wheelie to make up a story that Herbie was just playing her. Herbie in turn roams around the starting area looking for the Lancia, and has to be told a similar lie before he'll start racing. The lie nearly backfires horribly when, near the middle of the race, Diane skids into a river [[TrappedInASinkingCar and nearly drowns in her own car]], Herbie refusing to go back and help until Jim admits to the lie. Herbie and the Lancia rekindle this trope once he pulls her free, though he's convinced to win the race for her.

* LateToTheRealization: In ''Rides Again'', Alonzo Hawk hires a one-man demolition team to knock down the firehouse. Whitby impersonates Alonzo over the phone and gives the demolitionist a new address. Upon calling Alonzo to comfirm the new address of 343 Oleander Heights, Alonzo Hawk chastises him and confirms it's the right address before hanging up and muttering to himself that he knows Ms. Steinmetz's address as well as his own... before realizing that 343 Oleander Heights ''is'' his address right before a wrecking ball crashes through the wall, knocking down part of his house.

* MagicBus: Herbie, Giselle, and Horace (artificially). The little yellow New Beetle in ''Herbie Fully Loaded'' is a slight case.

* MyCarHatesMe: One of those cases where it's more than just a metaphor. Herbie refusing to start at a really inopportune moment because his feelings have been hurt happens at least once a movie.

** It's brief, but ''The Love Bug'' (1969) Carole's reaction upon hearing that the number 53 car (Herbie) was having problems the day after her date with Jim is one. Considering the date was encouraged heavily by Thorndyke, and her next scene is when she has parted company with Thorndyke, it's clear she put two and two together and wasn't pleased.

** Notably averted for Grandma Steinmetz in ''Herbie Rides Again''. She doesn't have the same teachings her son Tennessee does, but she's entirely accepting of the philosophy that mechanical and natural things still have life in them. It helps that Herbie's a pretty strong piece of evidence to the idea.

** Peter Thorndyke seems to have his locked on, as everything enrages the arrogant Brit so easily, including the incompetence of his workers.

** Alonzo Hawk is generally an angry man, though he's able to hide it somewhat for publicity’s sake. However, he does ''not'' take kindly to Willoughby pronouncing himself no longer in cahoots with him, if his yelling and screaming at him so loud [[GlassShatteringSound it can shatter glass]] is any indication.

** For Simon Moore III, Herbie himself, as the little car embarrassed the former Formula 1 racer after he was purchased.

* EvilBrit: Thorndyke is a snooty, arrogant Brit.

* GlassShatteringSound: Alonzo Hawk shatters the glass of a phone booth with his {{Angrish}} ''over the phone'' in ''Herbie Rides Again''.

* HonestJohnsDealership: Mrs. Steinmetz threatens to sell Herbie to one of these in ''Rides Again''.

** All through the El Dorado race in ''The Love Bug'', Thorndyke goes out of his way with cheating in order to make Jim lose. But towards the end, Herbie is leading but also literally falling apart, and is blocking Thorndyke's car, making him say "Rotten sportsmanship if you ask me!".

-->'''Peter Thorndyke''': [[SuddenlyShouting "BLAST you, Havershaw! How dare you patronize me! I am not losing my nerve!"]]

* Angrish: When Whitfield becomes aware of Alonzo's corruption, he calls him and pretends to be leaving town on a Swedish freighter and begins to chastise him for pestering Ms. Steinmetz. Alonzo gets visibly angrier as the conversation goes on which culminates in him shouting incoherently over the phone before hollering loud enough to shatter the glass of the phone booth Wiloughby is in.

* ''Herbie, the Love Bug'' (1982) -- A five-episode {{miniseries}} on Creator/{{CBS}}, directed by Vincent [=McEveety=] and starring Dean Jones. Semi-retired single man Jim Douglas runs the "Famous Driving School" with his mechanic Bo and of course semi-retired racecar Herbie. After foiling a bank robbery, Jim meets soon-to-be-married Susan [=MacLane=] (Patricia Harty) and her children Julie ([[Franchise/BackToTheFuture Claudia Wells]]), Robbie (Douglas Emerson), and Matthew (Nicky Katt). After Herbie inadvertently interrupts Susan's wedding to jealous bank manager Randy Bigelow (Creator/LarryLinville]]), Jim and Susan spark a romance as Randy tries all he can to discredit or sabotage Douglas and his little car. All episodes are on Youtube and can be watched [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcbLWnNRuf0&list=PL43ooqSfaVzGM_dIS-1IR4_DN5GnEFYR8 here]].

* ''Herbie Goes Bananas'' (1980) -- Jim's nephew, Pete Stancheck (Stephen W. Burns), ends up finding Herbie in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after an unknown debacle in Baja California. Intent on taking Herbie to race in Brazil, Pete and his friend DJ (Creator/CharlesMartinSmith) come to a pickpocket named Paco (Joaquin Garay III) that gets them embroiled with a group of gold smugglers. After Herbie causes trouble on the ship, Paco reunites with Herbie and, with help from the happy Aunt Louise (Creator/ClorisLeachman) and the blustering Captain Blythe (Creator/HarveyKorman]]), Herbie ends up fighting bulls, selling bananas, and munching on a plane. The last of the classic Herbie films.