Earl: Mechanic Muffler Man

Granite City, Illinois

The official greeter of Granite City, according to his accompanying plaque, Earl is a custom 14-foot-tall Mark Cline Muffler Man, placed at the north end of town in June 2025.

He stands on one of the old alignments of the Mother Road, in the parking lot of O'Brien Tire and Auto Care, "the oldest and longest-running tire and auto repair center along the entire Route 66" according to the plaque (In fact, it's 20 years older than Route 66, having opened in 1906). Earl is named for the patriarch of the shop's current ownership family (since 1955), wears an auto mechanic's shirt, carries a rag, and holds an adjustable wrench like a scepter, ready to wield it to get Route 66 travelers back on the road.