email: roadarch@outlook.com |
International Fiberglass Miss Uniroyal Statues |
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These 18-foot-tall statues were produced in the 1960s by International Fiberglass for the Uniroyal Tire & Rubber Company. The company marketed this statue as "Miss Uniroyal." I much prefer that name rather than the "Uniroyal Gal" term given to these statues in the 1980s by RoadsideAmerica.com. These statues were originally moved around to different Uniroyal tire stores and gas stations for promotions and events. The Miss Uniroyal statue held a Uniroyal Tire sign in her raised left hand and wore a watch on her right wrist. These statues were all produced wearing a bikini. According to one source, Uniroyal received many complaints that the statues were too racy. The statues were all sent back to International Fiberglass for add-on skirts and blouses.
Tire stores could also purchase the statues directly from Uniroyal. Since there was no exclusive contract with Uniroyal, International Fiberglass also began marketing these statues as their "Miss America" model. It is not known how many statues were produced but there are 15 known to have survived. Over the years, as businesses closed, these statues have been moved around and adapted for many different types of businesses. Evidently, at least one mold found its way to North Carolina or one was made from one of these statues. That mold was apparently produced or used by Unique Fiberglass Figures in Rocky Mount, NC. A few Miss Uniroyal statues have been produced in Bolton, NC from this mold. |
Miss Uniroyal Pearsonville, CA |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue has been here since at least 2007. It stands in front of a small park. For more, see this website. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Bradenton, FL |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue was originally installed in Downers Grove, IL. When the owner retired and moved to Florida, he brought the statue with him. After he passed away, his son sold the statue in 2013 to the owner of Edmunds Metal Works. The statue remained on a trailer until she was put on display around 2014. She was removed in 2017 and painted with her current look. The owner calls her "Tootsie." For more, see this website. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Dallas, GA |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue was originally located at Griffith Tire in Winter Garden, FL. It was later moved to Ocoee, FL. American Giants located the statue in a backyard and restored the statue with a Wonder Woman paint job before being installed here at the at the Dallas Crossing shopping center in 2018. There is also a reproduction Paul Bunyan statue at the same place that was produced by Bell Plastics in Hayward, CA. The statues are owned by Michael Whitman who has many other International Fiberglass statues at his business, Atlantis Plumbing, in town. For more, see this website. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Blackfoot, ID 2008: |
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2014: | ||||||
This Miss Uniroyal statue stands in front of Martha's Cafe. She held a plate with a burger and fries for many years. This statue was previously installed at the White Eagle Drive-Thru where she was a brunette. Before that, she was located at a gas station in town. In 2011, the statue was restored and repainted. The statue is a brunette again and she was given a diamond ring. There are no plans to reinstall the plate of food. The wristwatch is original. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Batchtown, IL |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue was located at a mini golf in Chincoteague, VA in the 1980s. In the 1990s, it was moved to Huber's Farms in Kingsville, MD. In 2015, it was moved to the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston, IL. In 2017, the statue was transformed into a waitress. In 2023, the statue was modified by Mark Cline to look like a pirate and it was installed at its current location, Pirates of the Mississippi, a pirate-themed restaurant and bar which opened that year. She has been named Ruby. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
Miss Uniroyal Mount Vernon, IL (now Texas) |
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2024: | ||
This Miss Uniroyal statue was originally installed at a gas station in Mount Vernon, IL. Around 1971, the statue was purchased by Stan the Tire Man and installed next to the store. The tire store already had an International Fiberglass Paul Bunyan statue. The Paul Bunyan was later moved to the Stan the Tire Man store in Salem, IL. That statue is now located in Rocky Mount, NC.
In 2015, the Stan the Tire Man store in Mount Vernon closed. The Miss Uniroyal statue was purchased by Bruce Kennedy who has many other International Fiberglass statues at his Bell Plastics shop in Hayward, CA. In 2017, the Miss Uniroyal statue was restored and repainted. Her fiberglass blouse and skirt were restored and repainted at the same time. In 2018, molds (photo bottom left) were made of this statue and others to produce replicas or parts as-needed for vintage statues. In 2022, the statue was sold and moved back to the original Stan the Tire Man building in Mount Vernon which housed the Overhead Door Co. In 2024, the statue was sold. It will be displayed in the Dallas, TX area. For more, see this website. |
Miss Uniroyal Peoria, IL |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue in Peoria is also known as "Vanna Whitewall." The statue first appeared at Plaza Tire's grand opening in 1968. The statue was moved around after that to different tire stores. Plaza Tire bought the statue in 1971 and it has been there ever since. The statue was restored in 1988. In 2005, the statue was hit by a car and had some damage to her right leg. It has since been repaired. Vanna's outfits are changed with the seasons: a sweater and skirt for the cold weather months and a bikini for summer. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Rocky Mount, NC |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue in Rocky Mount stood for many years at Mosley's Shady Lake Motel in Rocky Mount. In 2000, she was moved to Men's Night Out, a private men's club. She held a beach ball at the motel. When she was moved, her bikini bottom became hot pants and she went from a brunette to a blonde. She also acquired a belly ring. That feature is now missing. For more, see this website. |
Miss Uniroyal Blackwood, NJ 2003: |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue is located at Werbany's Tire Town. The "Big Broad", as the tire guys used to call her, is protected from high winds with two chains from her shoulders to an overhead pole. The owners say they were offered $6,000 for her but they turned it down. She was previously in Lancaster, PA and has been here since 1965. In 2007, she was repainted and transformed into Nitro Gal. "Nitro" refers to the nitrogen tire inflation system that Werbany's uses. For more, see this website. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Lamesa, TX |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue stands in front of Reid Bethel Tire Co. She has been painted to look like a Lamesa Golden Tornadoes cheerleader. For more, see this website. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal El Paso, TX |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue stands next to the Adobe Hacienda Dance Hall. She is still installed on the original International Fiberglass base which made it easy to move these statues around to different locations for special promotions. [map] |
Miss Uniroyal Taber, AB (Canada) |
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This Miss Uniroyal statue in Taber is located at Kirk's Tire. The statue was originally located at the Kirk's Tire in Lethbridge, AB. It may have been there since the 1960s. [photos thanks Corey Scheffler] [map] |
More Miss Uniroyal Statues:
New Port Richey, FL [private collection] Northport, MI Omaha, NE Tulsa, OK Del Rio, TX: 1, 2 [gone] Gainesville, TX (now in storage in Ohio) Pomeroy, WA Unger, WV unknown location [vintage photo thanks Terry Nelson] various cities |
IF Bunyans | IF Giant Men | IF 14-Foot-Tall Men | IF Cowboys |
IF Indians | IF Vikings | IF Mortimer Snerds | Other IF Statues |
International Fiberglass Main Page |
Statues Main Page |
RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |