Muffler Man

During a trip to Texas early this month I ran across a nice large bite of staple food for the roadside aficionado - a recently placed "muffler man."

These giants of the road were originally manufactured from the early 1960s to the middle 1970's as roadside attention getters by the International Fiberglass Company. There were several variations of which the cowboy was not uncommon. The name "muffler man", popularized by roadsideamerica.com, derives from the fact that some held mufflers for muffler shops, although they also held many other giant product representations.

This particular cowboy has watched Interstate 35 in Wynnwood, Oklahoma for about a year and half from his residence at Steppin' Out western wear in Wynnwood, Oklahoma at I-35 and hwy 29.


Steppin' Out owner Harold Marcum says he bought the cowboy from an individual who leased it to the film company that produced the movie, Twister. Marcum says the cowboy (approx 22 ft) was placed in a pond at Garvin County Lake for a scene in the film that was not used in the final production.

We'll be featuring more muffler men and other giants of the road as the year progresses.