In the sequence where Herbie "walks the plank", a real Volkswagen Beetle was cast out into the sea. It was never recovered.
A total of 26 Volkswagen Beetles played the part of Herbie in this film due to the enormous number of stunts.
Herbie's name is mentioned only once in the film. This occurs when Pete first picks up Herbie at the beginning. The owner of the car lot tells Pete a story about Jim Douglas and says, "Herbie, he see it, he stop." For the rest of the movie, the car is called Ocho.
Herbie The Love Bug was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Under normal circumstances, the interior would be a matching white. However, Herbie's interior was painted a special non-reflective grey color so the camera and studio lights would not reflect.