Behind the Wheel: Car never misses Huntington Woods’ Fourth of July parade

HUNTINGTON WOODS — Bob Weltman hasn’t missed the Huntington Woods Fourth of July parade since 1986.

He has driven his 1978 Volkswagen Beetle in the annual event for 38 years.

You can’t miss the tomato-red car. Bob decorates the Beetle with American flags and other trimmings of red, white and blue to celebrate the holiday. He is always the caboose of the parade.

“I’m the last one,” said Bob, who resides in Huntington Woods with his wife, Robyn. “It’s fun. It’s my contribution to the community. I get a kick out of doing it.”

Bob said the parade lasts about an hour. It is always held right on July 4.

“The Fourth Of July parade is huge here. It’s a wild parade,” Bob said. “It’s an old-fashioned, 1950s parade. It’s a throwback to another era. Half of the community is in it and half is watching. It’s so popular.”

The fun of participating in the Fourth of July procession started when a former City Council member asked if Bob could drive him in the convertible during the parade. Bob enjoyed the patriotic experience so much that he’s geared up ever since, becoming a piece of Huntington Woods history.

“There’s a little trick to it,” Bob said of driving in the parade. “You’re on your clutch a lot and your foot hurts because there are cars in front of you stopping.”

Over the years, Bob, daughter Karlie and sons Peter and Trevor have appeared in the parade, as has Trevor’s wife, Van. This year’s parade will start another tradition: there are plans for the Weltmans’ two granddaughters, Dolly, 8, and Lana, 6, to ride in the procession for the first time.

Not only do local residents know Bob from behind the steering wheel of his Volkswagen, but also through his career as an associate broker at Real Estate One and Max Broock in Royal Oak.

“When I go into people’s homes, there’s pictures of the parade — of Robyn and I — in the car on their wall,” Bob said.

Bob and Robyn, too, have met people when they take the car out for leisurely drives and when they head over to the Woodward Dream Cruise. Last year, for instance, Bob mingled with other Dream Cruise car enthusiasts on Old Woodward in Birmingham.

“This car brings up so much nostalgia for older people. They start crying. You just see it in their face and their eyes — especially our ages. You know, this was the ’60s car,” Bob said. “And younger kids love this car.”

“If we do drive around here, people ask him, ‘Are you going to be in the parade?’” Robyn said. “Some of the kids are now grown and have their own kids, and they remember it. It’s just really being part of the community.”

Bob and Robyn married in 1981, and Bob purchased the Beetle in 1985. After he saw it for sale, he just had to have it. There, however, was one problem. Bob did not know how to drive a stick shift, but he quickly learned by watching Robyn, who could drive a stick.

Bob really wanted a Porsche but settled for the Beetle, as he and Robyn had already started a family and a sports car at the time wasn’t feasible. Bob said his model is considered a Super Beetle and it’s a Karmann Ghia design.

“This is definitely more rounded than the older Volkswagens,” Robyn said.

Bob is the second owner of the Volkswagen, which came with running boards. In addition, the engine is in the rear and the trunk is located at the front of the car. The car is mostly original with a few modifications. The first owner changed the radio. The Weltmans also updated the car’s hubcaps while keeping them in the family.

“My father-in-law had the same car, and he had hubcaps from it that were better than the ones I had that were already aging,” Bob said.

The Huntington Woods parade will begin at 10 a.m., July 4, and will be held rain or shine. According to the city’s website at ci.huntington-woods.mi.us, the parade route will begin at the corner of Salem Road and York Street. It will then proceed onto Salem, which turns into Nadine Avenue.

The route will then turn right at Wyoming Road, followed by a left onto Borgman Avenue. Then it turns left onto Scotia Road and travels until it ends at the corner of Nadine and Scotia at Burton Park, with a hot dog roast and speeches scheduled at 11 a.m. There are several other activities planned for the holiday in Huntington Woods, including fireworks at approximately 10:05 p.m. over Rackham Golf Course, 10100 W. 10 Mile Road. For more details, visit the city’s website.