Entry No. 34 — the New York City file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Nitro Girl (Werbany Tire Town)
An 18-foot fiberglass giantess has loomed over Werbany Tire Town since 1965, bought by founder Ed Werbany Sr. for $300 as a standard 'Uniroyal Gal' roadside giant. In 2007 the family hired two artists to transform her into a superhero, adding go-go boots, gloves, a winged-W chest logo, and stars across her skirt and hair. Renamed Nitro Girl (the shop fills tires with nitrogen), she is one of the surviving International Fiberglass giants that once dotted American highways, and reportedly the only one left in the Northeast.
The story
In 1965, Ed Werbany Sr. dropped $300 on an 18-foot fiberglass giantess manufactured by International Fiberglass—the California company best known for churning out the square-jawed, hat-wearing Muffler Men that once commanded American highways. His acquisition was a "Uniroyal Gal," designed specifically to hold a tire in her oversized hands and pull motorists off the Black Horse Pike. While almost all of her midcentury sisters were eventually chopped up, scrapped, or cleared for gas station expansions, this particular titaness never left her post.
In 2007, the Werbany family gave the fiberglass relic a second act. They hired two local artists to overhaul her standard promotional outfit into full superhero regalia: white go-go boots, matching gloves, stars across her hair and skirt, and a winged "W" branded on her chest. Rechristened Nitro Girl—a nod to the shop's nitrogen tire inflation service—she stands today as the only surviving Uniroyal Gal left in the Northeast, quietly keeping watch over suburban South Jersey.
What it's like
You'll find Nitro Girl planted directly in front of 1337 North Black Horse Pike, looming over an active tire shop garage. There are no ticket counters, souvenir stalls, or ropes—just a working auto yard where mechanics mount tires beneath an 18-foot superheroine. Park out of the way of the service bays near the roadside edge so you don't block paying customers, snap your forced-perspective photos beneath her go-go boots, and grab lunch at a local diner down Highway 168 before heading back to the Turnpike.
The move: Make the drive a deliberate road-trip detour, snap goofy forced-perspective photos beneath the caped giantess, and grab a diner lunch nearby.
📍 Before you go It's roughly 90+ miles from Manhattan in South Jersey, so this is a committed road trip; the giant stands at a working tire shop, best viewed from outside.
- 📍 Blackwood, New Jersey
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Highway 168 / Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, NJ (~2.5 mi south of NJ Turnpike exit 3)
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Ruins of Lincoln Blacksmith Shop — Pair this midcentury highway icon with an 18th-century sandstone ruin in Cream Ridge operated by Abraham Lincoln's family.
- Conference House (Billopp Manor) — Combine a quirky roadside pop-art giantess with a 1680 stone manor on Staten Island that hosted a failed Revolutionary War peace conference.
- Staten Island Boat Graveyard (Witte Marine Scrapyard) — Follow up an industrial fiberglass relic with a visit to the rusting ship hulls rotting along the Staten Island mudflats.
Good to know
Where exactly is Nitro Girl located?
She stands in front of Werbany Tire Town at 1337 N. Black Horse Pike (Highway 168) in Blackwood, New Jersey, roughly 2.5 miles south of Exit 3 on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Does it cost anything to see her?
No, she is positioned outdoors along the shop's parking lot perimeter and is completely free to view and photograph from the exterior.
What is the history behind the statue?
She was bought by shop founder Ed Werbany Sr. in 1965 for $300 as a standard 'Uniroyal Gal' roadside advertisement. In 2007, artists repainted her with a superhero costume and cape, renaming her Nitro Girl after the shop's nitrogen tire-filling service.
Is she still part of an active business?
Yes, Werbany Tire Town is a fully operational tire and auto service center, so be mindful of garage traffic when stopping by.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · njspotlightnews.org · Official site · retroroadmap.com · inquirer.com · roadtrippers.com
last checked: 2026-06-23