The Love Bug (1997)

Peyton Reed directed and Ryan Rowe wrote The Love Bug (1997), an American adventure comedy movie. The protagonist, Jim Douglas, narrates the tale of his trusty companion Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, and their escapades. Fast forward to the present, and we find Herbie in the possession of Simon Moore III, an arrogant race car driver and dealer who mistreats him. During a race, Simon insults Herbie as a ‘piece of junk’, which triggers the car’s rebellion and results in them finishing last. After this incident, Simon dumps Herbie in a junkyard. Meanwhile, Hank Cooper, a former racer and rival of Moore’s now working as a mechanic in a small town garage. Hank’s boss Chuck signs him up for a junk-car race where participants have to choose and fix up an old car to compete.

Hank ends up with the ‘last choice’ and must take the only remaining car, the run-down Herbie. With help from his quirky artist friend Roddy, who is spiritually enlightened, Hank manages to get the car going just in time before it’s towed off the track. In a display of gratitude, Herbie surprises everyone by winning the one-lap race and restoring Hank’s confidence in his racing skills. The judges – Donny Shotz, an auto customizer; Alex, a former flame of Hank’s who is now an automotive journalist; and Moore himself – are amazed by Herbie’s performance and Alex challenges Hank to prove that he didn’t use any tricks during the race. In response, Hank takes Alex for a ride to demonstrate Herbie’s speed.