No White On White Paint Job
Herbie was a car that had an original factory paint job, the coveted L87 pearl white paint job. But unlike most factory Beetles, Herbie didn’t have a white-on-white interior. Instead, the interior was a special non-reflective gray. The purpose of the gray interior was to prevent reflection from the light into the cameras during shooting. Thus, anyone who owns a true authentic Herbie model will be treated to an interior color that you’ll never see in a factory Beetle model from this era (via Frasier Engine).
The original Volkswagen came in a lot of colors that were unique to the nameplate. Some were quite noticeable like the yellow ones, while others were quite mild-looking, like the pearl white ones. The film crew dressed Herbie up with a red white and blue stripe scheme and the iconic number 53 on the sides of the car. There was no denying that Herbie was indeed a race car; it had all the unique attributes of one. This is one reason why the movie ended up resonating with a new generation of fans.