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Apr 4, 2023 · If you find yourself driving along Route 66, chances are you'll stumble upon a host of quirky roadside attractions and landmarks. But none are quite as unique and downright odd as the Muffler Men. These towering fiberglass figures, with their distinctive poses and individual features, have become an iconic part of the cultural landscape of the ...
Giant Muffler Men and Uniroyal Gals along all states of Route 66. A capital place for giants: Museum has village of Atlanta thinking big. Roadside behemoths stand tall at the American Giants Museum Memorial Day weekend.
- Out of The Mold
- Marketing Genius
- The End of An Era
- Blessed Revival
- Into The Future
“The origins of these giants started with a guy named Bob Prewitt. He was trying to sell fiberglass trailers and made an awful looking papier-mâché horse to stand in it,” said Joel Baker, founder of American Giants. Prewitt soon made contact with a sculptor, who designed a more realistic model and hit paydirt. “In January 1961, he took it to the ...
“It’s not just one thing. You have to think about the time and what was going on back then. The climate of entertainment, the political climate, the availability of travel, all factored in. People were fascinated with the look. I don’t think it would have worked in the ‘40s,” said Cline. Societal change and marketing advances played off of each oth...
By the late ‘60s, the beginning of the end for Muffler Men was becoming apparent. “The giants and figures were getting harder to ship with new trucking laws. The gas crisis also spiked the cost of resin,” Baker said. Dashew’s focus moved to industrial products, and he changed the name of the company to Interform. They stopped making animals around ...
Today, America’s fascination with nostalgia is driving a resurgence in Muffler Men interest, be it restoration or even new reproductions. In the last decade, Baker has emerged as not just a leading authority on the various roadside giants made by International Fiberglass, but also serves as a facilitator and matchmaker to help make things happen. I...
Neither Prewitt nor Dashew could ever have predicted that their roadside giants would have second lives in the 21st Century. Like most manufacturers and marketers, they were simply doing something in the moment, not worried about the future. The time was ripe, and they both filled a gap. Nostalgia is a funny thing, though—whimsical, unpredictable f...
A tour of all 16 Muffler Men standing on Old Route 66, or very close to it. Not only do you get to see them in order but, also learn a bit about each ones un...
- 10 min
- 4.7K
- American Giants
Muffler men are an iconic piece of 1960s Americana. Sadly, there are less than 200 of these giant fiberglass statues still around today. This makes the sculptures that remain on Route 66 typically a must-see stop. However, understanding the history of the Flagstaff muffler men is a challenge!
In the pre-selfie days, Muffler Men created the perfect backdrop for a family photo. Photograph courtesy of Amy Inouye. Perhaps the most peculiar of the Muffler Men to make a transformation from Paul Bunyan into something more unique was the LA Chicken Boy.
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Two of them have become real icons, repeatedly portrayed on all guides, photo books, and numerous documents on Route 66: the green astronaut "Gemini Giant" in Wilmington announcing the "Launching Pad" fast food and "Tall Paul, "probably the first Muffler Men in history in Atlanta.
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