Anybody who's driven down Broadway near central Phoenix has probably passed right by Mofles the Auto Parts Man and failed to notice him. Sure, he's bright red and nearly 20 feet tall, waving big flags in front of Charly's Auto Servicio, but he's easily overlooked because that stretch of Broadway (between 7th and 16th streets) is so full of auto mechanic shops with similar-colored signs and the same block lettering in Spanish that they just blend together in one's peripheral vision.
But Mofles (Spanish for "mufflers") is worth a stop-and-look, and the owners of Charly's Auto Service are used to people marveling at and shooting photos of the looming sculpture.
Mofles was welded from old mufflers and auto parts in 1995 by Carlos
Campos, who owns the auto service shop (check out the story "In the Valley of the Muffler Men"
for more about Campos). Ever since his creation, Mofles has been a
point of wonder for people visiting Phoenix in search of bizarre
roadside attractions, but many longtime residents seem surprisingly
unaware of his existence.
To see Mofles in person (er, metal), visit Charly's Auto Service at 808 E. Broadway Road in Phoenix or call 602-268-2211.
