Remembering Bob Waldmire with a 2026 Route 66 Centennial Shirt

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is proud to reveal the design for their 2026 Centennial t-shirt, featuring artwork from the late Bob Waldmire. Bob was a beloved traveling artist and the inspiration behind Fillmore the Volkswagen bus in Pixar’s Cars films and was an early advocate for Route 66 preservation.

“Bob created a series of drawings in 1989 featuring landmarks along Oklahoma Route 66,” said Association President Rhys Martin. “We felt this would be a wonderful way to acknowledge the road’s history while reminding folks that the journey continues. We’re very grateful to the Waldmire family for allowing us to honor his legacy as we celebrate the road’s 100th anniversary.”

The new design features some artwork never before seen, such as a sketch of downtown Canute that was part of a postcard that was not finished before Bob passed away in 2009. The front of the shirt even has a 100th birthday message…but where did that come from? “When Bob created a new piece of art and wanted to include something he’d already sketched, he would photocopy it, cut it out, and paste it together. With permission from the Waldmire family, we did the exact same thing,” said Martin. The Association’s archives included a sketch Bob had created for the 66th anniversary of Route 66 in 1992; that was combined with a bit of his handwriting to create the number 100. “It’s authentic Bob Waldmire in multiple ways.”

Shirts can be purchased online here and are also available in person at the Association’s booth inside Tulsa’s Meadow Gold Mack store.

In addition to the new shirt, the Association is moving forward with a project to restore the U-Haul truck with Bob’s artwork on the side that they acquired from the auction of Afton Station more than five years ago. Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City is repairing the long-dormant truck as a student project with plans to have it road-ready by the summer. The Association wants to turn it into a mobile information center about Route 66. The upcoming edition of The Chronicles of Oklahoma from the Oklahoma Historical Society will also feature a write-up about Bob Waldmire and his legacy on Route 66.