 When beginning production of the film, Disney set up a casting call  for about a dozen cars, and kept them outside the studios for the  crew to examine during their breaks. Among the lineup were Toyotas,  Volvos, and of course, the pearl white Volkswagen Beetle. When the  crew walked by to inspect the cars, they would kick the tires and  grab the steering wheel to see how it handled. However, when they  came across the Volkswagen, they began to pet it, and so the Beetle  got the job.