Fiberglass fräuleinEl Paso, TX

Uniroyal Gal sketch by Chandler O'Leary

As I’ve already written before, one of my ongoing road trip checklists includes the various Muffler Men scattered around the country. But one thing I hadn’t yet been able to add to the list is the Muffler Man’s sister, the Uniroyal Gal. Another early-1960s creation of the International Fiberglass Company in California, rumor has it that her likeness was inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy.

The Uniroyal Gal was also a national phenomenon, albeit a much rarer one. So that meant that finding one was a sort of quest. And I finally nabbed my first one in El Paso, of all places. This gal was waaaay off the beaten path and really hard to find, but her pristine condition made her well worth the journey. And best of all, I could really see the resemblance to Jackie—I could almost imagine a pillbox hat atop that fiberglass Bouvier bouffant…

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