Cobra-Authority.com - A 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 (CSX2203) was featured in the 1968 movie “Love Bug” and raced against the VW “Herbie” at Riverside International Raceway in the movie.

Ernie Nagamatsu is the 2nd owner and the CSX2203 has been racing in “Historic” racing continuously since 1984, starting at Riverside International Raceway. The Cobra was raced for over 20 years with one of the three rare and original Le Mans aluminum Hard Tops that were fabricated at AC in England. CSX2203 currently races with a aluminum exact “replica” of that rare Le Mans hard top. It has raced at the Palm Springs Reunion Races. CSX2203 has raced at the prestigious Goodwood Revival Meeting Races in the Tourist Trophy Race twice. The Cobra has raced at the Monterey Historic/ Reunion Races and the Tribute to Carroll Shelby and Tribute to Shelby Cobra Races at Laguna Seca Raceway. It was also raced at the Coronado Festival of Speed. The Shelby Cobra has raced in New Zealand, Australia, and at the Monterey Races in USA. In 2014, at the Australia F1 Grand Prix Historic Race, CSX2203 was the Co-Winner of the Rolex Australia F1 GP Historic “Winner” Trophy along with the 1959 Old Yeller II Buick Special. In 2016, this Shelby Cobra was a feature car at the Chateau Impney Hill Climb in England.

The Love Bug (sometimes referred to as Herbie the Love Bug) is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and the first in a series of films made by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie.

Some of the racetrack scenes were shot at the Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. Others were filmed at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, Willow Springs Raceway in Willow Springs, California and Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, California.

The film was the third highest-grossing hit of 1968, earning over $51.2 million at the domestic box office.