The Love Bug was announced as an upcoming Walt Disney Production in the 12 Jan 1968 DV. Filming began shortly after on 1 Apr 1968 at Walt Disney studios in Burbank, CA. As noted in the 22 Apr 1968 DV, shooting also took place at the Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Additional location scenes were filmed in San Francisco, CA, on the Monterey peninsula in Northern CA, and at several raceways. Principal photography was completed by mid-Jun 1968, according to an item in the 14 Jun 1968 DV.
       Leading actress Michele Lee, also a singer, was scheduled to record an album at Columbia Records while production was underway, splitting her time on the film set during the day, and at the recording studio at night, according to a 9 Apr 1968 DV brief. Meanwhile, Buddy Hackett was so impressed by the vocal talents of co-star Dean Jones, formerly a singer at a nightclub in New Orleans, LA, Hackett recruited Jones to sing on a double-bill with him at the Hotel Sahara in Las Vegas, NV, starting in late Dec 1968, as noted in the 11 May 1968 and 24 Aug 1968 LAT.
       With some post-production work yet to be completed, sneak previews of The Love Bug took place on 6 Dec 1968 at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, and on 13 Dec 1968 at Loew’s Orpheum Theatre in New York City, according to the 9 Dec 1968 DV and 18 Dec 1968 Var. Audience response to the previews was very positive, as touted by an advertisement in the 19 Dec 1968 DV, which referred to the film’s anthropomorphized Volkswagen Beetle character, stating, “Everyone loves Herbie… You’ll love Herbie too!”
       The film opened on 13 Mar 1969 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, where it went on to set an Easter week record, with a seven-day gross of $285,258. A 26 Mar 1969 Los Angeles, CA, premiere followed at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, raising funds for the Maud Booth Family Center. On 23 Mar 1969, “Love Bug Day” was scheduled to take place at Disneyland, according to the 21 Mar 1969 LAT. The event included a parade and car contest in which an estimated 1,200 “bug-like” automobiles, decorated in various styles, would compete in the following four categories: “most psychedelic, most comical, most toy-like and most personality.” According to the 28 Mar 1969 LAT, decorated Volkswagen Beetles were also featured at the post-premiere party, following the screening at Grauman’s Chinese, that took place at the Max Factor Building on Highland Avenue.
       The Love Bug, one of only four original films released by Disney in 1969, became the studio’s top-grossing picture that year. The 3 Dec 1969 Var estimated that the film would take in $17 million in box-office receipts “in its initial release,” making it Disney’s second-biggest picture after Mary Poppins (1964, see entry), and largely contributing to Disney’s third best year in its history as a company. Following the film’s first run, it was re-issued on a double bill with The Jungle Book (1967, see entry), set to debut on 9 Sep 1970, according to a 31 Aug 1970 LAT brief.
       Songwriter Pinky Tomlin filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Productions for appropriating his song title, “The Love Bug Will Bite You If You Don’t Watch Out.” On 27 Apr 1970, an article in DV reported that Tomlin lost the suit.
       On 24 Aug 1970, DV noted that a sequel was in the works, and that Buddy Hackett was in talks to reprise his role. However, Hackett wanted a pay raise, since his salary on The Love Bug had reportedly equaled four days’ pay at his Las Vegas show at the Sahara. Hackett did not end up appearing in the sequel released by Disney in 1974, Herbie Rides Again (see entry). However, Dean Jones reprised the role of “Jim Douglas” in a third film in the series, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977, see entry), which was followed by Herbie Goes Bananas (1980, see entry), and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005, see entry). A television show based on the picture, titled Herbie, the Love Bug, premiered on Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) on 17 Mar 1982. Also starring Dean Jones as “Jim Douglas,” the show was quickly cancelled, with the last episode airing on 14 Apr 1982.
       The 19 Jan 1968 DV named Tom Clark as the film’s unit publicist.