As we all know, shop promotional vehicles can be a bit whacky, but they can also provide great value by becoming a community favorite while serving as advertising for its owner. How could you not love a car shaped as a gigantic muffler? I come from a marketing background, and I long for the days when oddities like this Muff Mobile here on eBay were the norm. Today, advertising has moved into the digital arena where cars like this just don’t play. Although I’d like to see the Muff Mobile continue in its duties as a conversation starter for a local muffler shop, its days as a sales tool may be coming to an end. My personal favorite ad-cars are the air-cooled Truly Nolen VW Beetles – complete with ears and tails, what’s not to love? Hopefully, someone feels the same way about the Muff Mobile. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Doug N. for the find.
This isn’t what I would expect a muffmobile to look like.
Back in the day, a shoe repair shop (I think in Southern California) had a promotional vehicle: a Honda 600Z “Coupe” that had been reworked to look like an oversize hiking boot. Had laces and all, as I recall. I saw it “in person” somewhere, and Road & Track had a photo on the “P.S.” page.
Thought about doing something similar to my own “Z” but fortunately didn’t. Even in SoCal, they were attention-getters in stock form.
Not terribly enthused by the “muffler.” I’d really prefer an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile!
Here’s one that’s still on the road, the L L Bean Maine hunting shoe…
@Grr I agree, but my lowbrow self would still get a kick out of constantly exclaiming, “muff mobile” out in public.
Looks like a Star Wars Land Speeder.
Rather ironic that the exhaust doesn’t expel through the…uh…exhaust.
Unbelievable, how could they have possibly missed that?
there a few cars in my area that need this big a muffer to quite them down. seller is taking offers. it might cost more to build a new one then the asking price. no need for it to run to be a good promo tool. someone might want to take it to $500 a car racing!
Custom cars were all the rage back in the day, when I was in High School.late 70’s there was a local foreign car repair that would enter a a push me-pullme style bug in the parade every year, was always a big hit… I see many cars such as giant shoes, shopping carts, beer bottles etc in the mags so they must still be quite popular…
Pre-themed 24 Hours of LeMons :-)
It’s stories like these that keep me coming back to Barn Finds every day.
I saw a pink one like this at a Longview Washington shop last weekend.
It’s rusting out in back. Just like a real muffler. Unless a muffler shop guy needs a promotional sign, I think its going to stay where it is.
Tempting. Now if it was a Cherry Bomb
I saw a similar one on eBay a few years ago. Not Meineke though.
Theres something like this parked at a muffler shop at the east end of the main drag in east Wenatchee…