The film starts in an eastern european country under the soviet occupation and the main character tries to escape to the west side of the Soviet border. He's a simple farmer and firstly attaches pillows to his boots and tries to cross a mine field, but this and every one of his attempts fails. Lastly he makes an old trabant to somehow go very fast, but in the time he finally finishes with the car the Soviet Union is collapsed and he didn't need to use it.
After that, he decides that he will just stay in his little village, because he just only wanted to leave because there was the wall and he stuck with the eastern side of it. Later, others from the village encourage him to go to America and present his invention. He goes to America and tries to sell his superfast car to some shady big company boss, who tricks him.
Later, the businessman presents the car as his own invention to some senator or the president, but the protagonist shows up. He flips the car's hood up and tries to explain to the senator how the engine works, but notices that the car is completely changed. He then drives off of a cliff destroying it and says to the senator that the plan for the real car is in his head and he can start the production if he believes him. In the end, the senator supports him, he gets the girl and the happy ending.
Not one of the Herbie movies!