Dean Jones personally requested to play the hippy at the drive-in. The director originally turned him down, but after Jones proved that he could convincingly take on the persona, he was immediately given the part.
The only existing "trick Herbie" from the movie, which can do things like squirt oil and open the doors by himself, is owned by Dean Jones.
When production started, Disney set up a casting call for about a dozen cars, and kept them outside the studios for the crew to examine during their breaks. The lineup included Toyotas, Volvos, and of course, the pearl white Volkswagen Beetle. When the crew walked by to inspect the cars, they would kick the tires and grab the steering wheel to see how it handled. However, when they came across the Volkswagen, they began to pet it, so the Beetle got the job.
Dean Jones credits the film's success to the fact that it was the last live-action film that Walt Disney had authorized for production.
Herbie was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Herbie's interior was painted a special non-reflective grey so the camera and studio lights would not reflect. Under normal circumstances, the interior would be a matching white.