Fredericksburg, Texas: Howard Huge: Muffler Man

We could not get past the locked gates, but he is still there at the Wine Garage along Hwy 290.

Howard Huge the Muffler Man now holds a wine bottle and wrench in front of a Wine Garage.

This giant figure -- somewhat unique among Muffler Men, with his pillbox cap and bow tie -- had been mothballed for decades in Maine. Dubbed "Howard Huge," he was sold, transported to Texas, and installed outside of a wine business east of Fredericksburg in December 2018.

There is a Muffler Man in Winslow, Maine, that has never been on the charts. He was probably manufactured sometime after 1966, and is one of the rare bow-tie Muffler Men, a one-of-a-kind custom job by International Fiberglass with a unique hat. It is not known who originally ordered him or where he stood; some speculate it was in Oakland, Manchester, or Winslow, Maine, while others remember him as being out of state. He was purchased, used, in 1976-1978 by Mardens Surplus and Salvage Co., which named him Howard Huge. He stood outside a few different stores, primarily Waterville and Bangor, in the '70s and '80s.

When the company continued to grow and open more stores, it stopped using the Muffler Man and he was put in storage sometime in the early 1990s.

He has recently been pulled outside and is now up for auction at usagiants.com.