Wave a big hello to Big A, the Texaco Giant Muffler Man in Galena, Kansas. This custom roadside attraction might be a new kid on the block, but he’s already making a big mark on Route 66.
The Big A muffler man was unveiled at Gearhead Curios in Galena, Kansas in September 2024. The design of this custom roadside attraction is based the original Texaco Big Friend, an over-the-top icon that was created for a Texaco ad campaign in the 1960s. Only around 300 of these giant fiberglass men were ever created and most of them, along with the molds, were destroyed after the campaign flopped. Because of that, few originals still exist (but you can find one refurbished original Texaco Big Friend at the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois) making this custom job a truly unique attraction.
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The custom muffler men was created by Virginia fiberglass artist Mark Cline of Enchanted Castle Studios (who has also made other unique muffler men, like Buck Atom in Tulsa, Oklahoma). The 22-foot tall, 1,200 pound giant was built to resemble the Texaco Big Friend with waving giant body and a custom muffler man head that sports a white trimmed beard and sideburns to resemble Aaron Perry, the owner of Gearhead Curios. He sports a bright green Texaco uniform, a nod to the original Texaco station where Gearhead Curios is housed, and holds an adjustable wrench in one hand while waving with the other.
Big A is a big deal in Galena, as it is the first, and currently only, muffler man on the state’s small stretch of Route 66. So plan to pull over and say a giant hello to this unique roadside giant.
Photos of Big A, the Texaco Giant Muffler Man in Galena, Kansas
