After three breezy episodes in ten years, this fourth film about Herbie the Love Bug was the one that finally put the skids under the series. The novelty of having a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own was already showing signs of wearing off in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, when an "exotic" location was used to cover the holes in the plot. However, the sights of South America are not enough to distract us from the flimsiness of this story, as Herbie rubs bumpers with a gang of smugglers on his way to a race in Brazil. Even fine comic actors such as Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman are unable to raise a smile here.

The adorable little VW helps its owners break up a counterfeiting ring in Mexico.