Herbie, the Love Bug Herbie, the Love Bug Herbie, the Love Bug (aka Herbie the Matchmaker) is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from March 17 to April 14, 1982. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on a series of films about Herbie, a white 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own. The show was a five-episode mid-season replacement series. It was the last production to feature the titular automobile until 1997's television film "The Love Bug". The show's theme song "Herbie, My Best Friend" was performed by its star, Dean Jones. Dean Jones, who had appeared
Volkswagen New Beetle 1998. Strong public reaction to the Concept One convinced the company that it should develop a production version which was launched as the New Beetle in 1997 for the 1998 model-year, based on the Golf IV's larger PQ34 platform. The New Beetle is related to the original only in name and appearance (including the absence of a car emblem script with the exception of the VW logo). For the 1998 model year, only the TDI compression-ignition engine was turbocharged; the spark-ignition engines were only naturally aspirated. In June 1999, Volkswagen introduced the 1.8T, which was the first turbocharged spark-ignition engine