The Love Bug (1997 film) installment of the "Herbie" franchise, this film is part remake and part sequel, in that the events of the original 1968 film are repeated while the storyline plots to follow 1980's "Herbie Goes Bananas". It can also be thought a prototype of "" (2005), in that both show a later racer finding Herbie in a junkyard and restoring him. The film also marks the first new appearance of Herbie in 15 years, following the Bug's lone television series "Herbie, the Love Bug", which had ended after five episodes. The narrator, Jim Douglas (Dean Jones), unfolds the story of Herbie the
Volkswagen Beetle in Mexico Federal" to serve as a public transportation vehicle, thus becoming the standard taxi in Mexico City. In 1972, the Volkswagen Beetle received the larger front windows used on German Beetles since 1965, though the rear window remained the smaller 1965–71 size. The larger rear window, introduced on German Beetles in 1972, did not appear on the Mexican Beetle until 1985. Enlarged tail lights, first used on 1971–72 German models (except VW 1200), were also added. The 1973 model was highly popular, due to the previous year's improvements, as well as the new four bolt 15" (“small 4” as opposed to