This film, one of the favorite cartoons of John Lasseter, provided inspiration for the animators of Cars (2006). In particular, both films place the car characters' eyes in the windshield (making them more expressive), instead of the headlights like most other animated cars.
The short was added as a bonus feature in the dvd release of The Love Bug (1969), which also starred a sentient car.
Around the time Bill Peet first created Susie, his father purchased a sky blue Studebaker Coupe which was the car Bill learned to drive in.