(Herbie) The Love Bug
1969's The Love Bug introduced audiences to Herbie , a sentient 1963 Volkswagen Beetle who comes into the possession of washed-up racecar driver Jim Douglas ( Dean Jones ). Douglas regains confidence driving the remarkable little car, finds love in the unlikely assistant ( Michele Lee ) to his villainous rival ( David Tomlinson ), and finally learns to accept and appreciate Herbie as far more than a car.