Mr. Bendo Muffler Man in Chicago, Illinois (Blue Ridge, Georgia)

Muffler men are tall fiberglass sculptures created by International Fiberglass in Venice, California, that were once popular advertising icons on the roads of America. There were many types of this roadside attraction produced — classic, Bunyan, cowboy, Indian — and they are found holding everything from hot dogs to American Flags. Another type is the bent-rod holding Mr. Bendo muffler man, like this one that once lived in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Bendo is named so because that is the name that is printed on his shirt pocket. Unlike most of his counterparts with a classic right hand up, left hand down stature, this guy has his right hand down, extended outwards, and left arm down by his side.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The Mr. Bendo Muffler Man in Chicago, Illinois once stood tall above Ced’s Auto Body on Grand and Pulaski, I was fortunate enough to visit the Illinois roadside attraction on a Chicagoland road trip.

Mr. Bendo Muffler Man in Chicago, Illinois
Mr. Bendo Muffler Man in Chicago, Illinois
Mr. Bendo Muffler Man in Chicago, Illinois

Unfortunately, this Chicago muffler man is no longer standing in Chicago. On June 18, 2010, a harsh storm rolled through the city and knocked over everything from the waist up. His torso fell and his head went missing. The owners eventually found the fiberglass body remnants and put them in storage, leaving the lone panted legs standing for a few years.

Alas, Ced’s Mufflers eventually went out of business in 2014. But there was good news to come from it!

In 2015, the Chicago muffler man was bought by Free Time Hobbies, a hobby store in Blue Ridge, Georgia. He was reassembled, restored, transported, and transformed into Mr. Hobby. He was given a new pair of white pants, a red collared shirt, and the muffler he previously held was replaced with a P-51 Model Airplane. Watch this fascinating video by American Giants that details the muffler man’s history, the search for his missing head, and the roadside attraction’s journey from Chicago to Georgia.

But that is not where this muffler man’s story ends. In 2019 Free Time Hobbies sold the building, and the giant man, to a dental office, Smile Blue Ridge. Now dubbed “Dr. Blue Ridge,” he was repainted to wear all blue (reminiscent of dental scrubs) and his toy airplane was replaced with a giant toothbrush.

So if you’ve ever in Georgia, check him out there! And if you’ve ever in South Dakota, you can find another Mr. Bendo there!

Mr. Bendo Muffler Man / Mr. Hobby / Dr. Blue Ridge

Current Location: Smile Blue Ridge, 47 Dunbarton Farm Rd, Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Former Location: Ced’s Auto Service, 3940 W Grand Ave., Chicago, IL
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always visible.
Photos: November 25, 2007

Pin this muffler man roadside attraction:

Mr. Bendo muffler man in Chicago, Illinois was a giant fiberglass man on top of Ced's Auto Body. This roadside attraction is now found in Georgia. Muffler men are weird roadside attractions that always make fun stops and photography opportunities on road trips. Add see a muffler man to your road trip bucket list!
#RoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAttractions #WeirdRoadsideAttractions #VintageRoadsideAttractions #RoadTripStops #RoadTrip #USARoadsideAttractions #AmericanRoadsideAttractions #USA
Mr. Bendo muffler man in Chicago, Illinois was a giant fiberglass man on top of Ced’s Auto Body. This roadside attraction is now found in Georgia. Muffler men are weird roadside attractions that always make fun stops and photography opportunities on road trips. Add see a muffler man to your road trip bucket list!

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Valerie Bromann

Founder & ROad Trip Expert

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book, she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.

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Last modified: November 6, 2022
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The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.