The racing number painted on Herbie the Love Bug’s body is 53.
Herbie is Disney’s fictional sentient 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, first seen in The Love Bug in 1968. The number appears on the front luggage-compartment lid, both doors, and the engine cover, making it one of the character’s most recognizable visual features. It is paired with Herbie’s pearl-white paint and red, white, and blue racing stripes.
The number was reportedly chosen as a tribute to Don Drysdale, the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who wore 53. That connection gives the marking a sporting origin beyond its role as a fictional race number. Herbie’s number is sometimes confused with numbers used by real racing Beetles or fan-built replicas, but 53 is the canonical Disney identification.
Herbie’s racing identity developed across several films, including Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Herbie Goes Bananas, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. The character’s famous number remained central even as the cars and mechanical details used in production changed.