Down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas teams up with a little VW Bug that has a mind of it's own, not realizing Herbie's worth until a sneaky rival plots to steal him.
Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own, is racing in the Monte Carlo Rally. Unbeknownst to Herbie's driver, thieves have hidden a stolen diamond in Herbie's gas tank, and are now trying to get it back.
Maggie Peyton, the new owner of Herbie, Number 53, the free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind of its own, puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor.