Jim was first seen in 1968's The Love Bug, as a washed up stock car driver with a failed career, living with his friend Tennessee Steinmetz inside an old firehouse in San Francisco, California. While looking for a new race car, Jim came across a sentient 1963 Volkswagen Beetle in the European import showroom of Peter Thorndyke. Jim ended up buying the troublesome little Beetle, who quickly helped him befriend Thorndyke's female assistant, Carole Bennett. The little car's unusual speed made Jim realize he had found his new race car. While Jim failed to see the little car was alive, Tennessee soon noticed and named it Herbie, after his uncle. Tennessee would often talk to Herbie and get him to behave for Jim. Thorndyke grew jealous of Herbie's success and sabotaged one of Jim's victories by intoxicating Herbie with Irish Coffee at a race in Riverside. This led to Carole resigning as Thorndyke's associate. Believing Herbie to be damaged beyond repair and refusing to admit the car was alive, Jim then tried to replace Herbie with a red Lamborghini special. Out of jealousy while Jim was occupied in an argument with Tennessee and Carole, Herbie trashed the new thousand dollar car. Jim attacked Herbie in a fit of rage, but was very quickly calmed down by Tennessee. Believing Jim hated him, Herbie ran away. While trying to avoid Jim, Herbie managed to get kidnapped by Thorndyke, who tried to unsuccessfully scrap him. Instead, Herbie escaped destroying Thorndyke's showroom in the process and damaging a seafood market in Chinatown. Jim caught up with Herbie, who was trying to commit suicide by driving off the Golden Gate Bridge. Jim nearly fell to his death trying to stop Herbie from jumping. In the end, Herbie saved them both, only to be impounded by the San Francisco Police Department, leaving Jim with an enormous debt to Chinese American businessman Tang Wu, who owned the shop Herbie had previously damaged.Jim and Tennessee both reached a deal with Wu, who agreed if they won the El Dorado Grand Prix with Herbie, Jim's debt would be repayed through Wu gaining the prize money. The counter was if Herbie lost, he'd be kept by Wu, who was a big fan of Herbie. Herbie was taken out of impound and repaired. Meanwhile, Thorndyke caught Wu privately before the race, creating a secret wager between them both. During the Grand Prix, Carole and Tennessee made up Jim's racing team. Herbie was sabotaged by Thorndyke during the first leg of the race from Lake Tahoe to Virginia City, Nevada. Herbie lost two of his wheels and had to limp to Virginia City using a piece of old mining equipment as a makeshift tire. There, Thorndyke tried to take Herbie, believing Jim had forfeited. Thorndyke explained his wager with Wu entailed Thorndyke would own Herbie, if the little car lost or forfeit the race. Herbie chased Thorndyke off, proving he refused to forfeit. In the next leg of the race, Herbie was sabotaged yet again, resulting in him breaking in half, but won the race despite the impossibilities involved. Due to this, Herbie was returned to Jim and Wu gained the prize money. At the same time, Thorndyke lost everything he had to Wu, as per their wager. During the ordeal, Jim and Carole developed a romantic relationship and the experience changed his personality to be a kinder more tender hearted caring soul. Herbie took JIm and Carole on their honeymoon to an undisclosed location.During the events of Herbie Rides Again, it's revealed Jim moved to Europe to race in the European circuits and that Tennessee had moved back to Tibet to attend to his sick teacher. It is also loosely implied that between The Love Bug and Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo, Jim and Carole are permanently separated, as Carole is never seen again after the first film. This is also hinted at by the fact Jim enters other romantic interests and one marriage, later on. Tennessee is also never seen again, after the first film, possibly implying he stayed in Tibet.In Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo, Jim returns, to race Herbie in the Trans-France race with a new mechanic, Wheelie Applegate. Jim develops a complex relationship with fellow racer Diane Darcy over Herbie's antics, which at first give Diane the false impression that Jim was a sexist. Despite several run ins and a fight with international jewel thieves, Jim, Herbie and Wheelie are able to win the race from Paris to Monte Carlo. Jim ends up falling in love with Diane, while Herbie falls in love with Diane's Lancia, who she named Giselle.Jim loaned Herbie to his nephew, Pete Stancheck during the events of Herbie Goes Bananas.Jim returns once again in the Herbie The Love Bug five part miniseries, which first aired on Disney Channel in 1982. In this series, Jim has retired from racing along with Herbie and the pair operate a discount driving school. Jim also falls in love with a single mother named Susan MacLane, who has three children; Matthew, Robbie and Julie. The kids eventually see Jim as a surrogate father, after initial dislike. Jim also finds himself the target of Susan's former love interest, Randy Bigelow, a local banker. This is mostly due to Herbie's shenanigans, although Herbie does his best to keep Randy at bay from Jim. Jim also reunites with racers from the Trans-France Race, during which he reveals that the relationship with Diane ended some time after the events Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo.Jim makes his final appearance in the 1997 TV Movie, The Love Bug . He's first referenced several times at the movie's beginning, before appearing physically during Herbie's funeral, Herbie having been supposedly killed by an evil replica Beetle named Horace. Jim helps Herbie's new owner, Hank Cooper, to rebuild Herbie and regain the latter's failed racing career. Hank develops deep respect and gratitude for Jim, taking his advice to heart. Jim also reveals he is married thanks to Herbie. This may be a reference to Susan from the miniseries. Jim also helps Herbie in his antics to rekindle the broken relationship between Hank and his ex-girlfriend Alex Davis. This proves to be successful.It's unknown what has become of Jim after this, as he's not widely referenced in Herbie Fully Loaded, save for the movie's title sequence, where his name can be seen in the newsprint. A second indirect hint to him is given by a junkyard employee, who states he found Herbie next to several old racing trophies. It is possible Jim was the one who left the note which Maggie Payton found in Herbie's dashboard.The character Jim Douglas may not return in future films or TV specials/shows, as the actor who played Jim, Dean Jones, passed away in September 2015 due to Parkinson's disease. Show less «