How many Oscar Mayer Wienermobile are there? The Wienermobile dates back to 1936, when Carl Mayer told his Uncle Oscar about a new advertising idea that was a literal marketing vehicle for the company. Oscar Mayer now has six of the 23-foot-long vehicles, which travel across the United States to events including state fairs, grocery stores and sports contests to promote the brand.

Oscar Mayer, owned by Kraft Heinz (KHC), has often used cheeky marketing tactics to attract attention to its packaged products. Last year, the company sold hot dog popsicles and bologna face masks that quickly sold out.

Kraft wrote down the value of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands in 2019 by $15 billion because consumers have shifted their preferences away from processed foods.

How many Oscar Mayer Wienermobile are there?

There are currently six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles in the United States. They travel across the country to promote Oscar Mayer products and events.

The Wienermobile was first introduced in 1936 as a way to promote Oscar Mayer hot dogs. It was originally a 17-foot-long hot dog on wheels, and it was driven by a team of hot dog-shaped spokesmen.

The Wienermobile has undergone several design changes over the years, but it has always been a recognizable symbol of Oscar Mayer. The current Wienermobile is 27 feet long and 11 feet high, and it is made of fiberglass. It is also equipped with a sound system and a hot dog whistle.

The Wienermobile drivers, known as Hotdoggers, are responsible for driving the Wienermobile to events and promoting Oscar Mayer products. They are also responsible for interacting with the public and giving out free hot dogs.

The Wienermobile is a popular attraction at events, and it is often seen as a symbol of American culture. It is a reminder of the simple pleasures in life, like a hot dog on a bun.

History

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has evolved from Carl Mayer’s original 1936 vehicle to the vehicles seen on the road today. Although that first Wienermobile was scrapped for metal in the 1940s to aid the US Army during World War II, Oscar Mayer and the Gerstenslager Company created several new vehicles using a Dodge chassis or a Willys Jeep chassis in the 1950s. One of these models is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. These Wienermobiles were piloted by “Little Oscar” (portrayed by George Molchan) who would visit stores, schools, orphanages, and children’s hospitals and participate in parades and festivals.

In 1969, new Wienermobiles were built on a Chevrolet motor home chassis and featured Ford Thunderbird taillights. The 1969 vehicle was the first Wienermobile to travel outside the United States.

In 1976, Plastic Products, Inc., built a fiberglass and styrofoam model, again on a Chevrolet motor home chassis.

In 1988, Oscar Mayer had a fleet of six Wienermobiles built by noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens using converted Chevrolet van chassis.

In 1995, a new version increased the size of the Wienermobile to a length of 27 feet (8.2 m) and a height of 11 feet (3.4 m). This version also included the upgraded large parallelogram windows which could now open, as designed by Sheldon Theis.

In 2004, the Wienermobile included a voice-activated GPS navigation device, an audio center with a wireless microphone, a horn that plays the Wiener Jingle (in 21 different genres from Cajun to Rap to Bossa Nova), according to American Eats, and sports fourth generation Pontiac Firebird taillights.

Following mechanical problems with the Isuzu Elf, Oscar Mayer decided to adopt a larger chassis to accommodate an increase in the size of the signature wiener running through the middle. While the Wienermobile was not as long as the 1995 version, it was considerably wider and taller. Craftsmen Industries went through numerous overhauls of the truck including a flipped axle and a leveling kit. This version held a record for numerous suspension problems, most leading to the chassis not being able to hold the large weight of the Oscar Mayer Wiener.

In 2004, Oscar Mayer announced a contest whereby customers could win the right to use the Wienermobile for a day. Within a month, the contest had generated over 15,000 entries.

In June 2017, the company introduced several new hot-dog-themed vehicles, including the WienerCycle, WienerRover, and WienerDrone.

In May 2023, Oscar Mayer announced that it was renaming the Weinermobile to the Frankmobile, to promote a new recipe for its all-beef franks. It was suggested that the name change would not be permanent

Wienermobile drivers

Six Wienermobiles operate throughout the United States.

The driver of a Wienermobile is called The Hotdogger. The Hotdogger job is to “meat” and greet people around the country. The duties of a Hotdogger include:

“…sharing photos and videos on social media, answering questions about the brand and the vehicle (the most frequently asked question is if there’s a bathroom in the back, to which they respond: ‘No, it’s not a Weenie-bago’), and distributing swag.”

Only college seniors who are about to graduate are eligible to be Hotdoggers. Applicants should be getting their BA or BS, preferably in public relations, journalism, communications, advertising, or marketing.

A Hotdogger’s assignment is for only one year. Recruiting for each year’s new Hotdogger cadre involves current Hotdoggers and Oscar Mayer recruiters visiting college campuses across the country. In 2018, 7,000 people applied to be Hotdoggers. As each Wienermobile carries two Hotdoggers, only 12 Hotdoggers are selected each year.

Notable incidents

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Omaha, Nebraska, in August 2006
In June 2007, a Wienermobile with the Wisconsin license plate of YUMMY made headlines after being stopped by an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer for having an allegedly stolen license plate. Officer K. Lankow had observed the Wienermobile slowing traffic and checked the license plate to determine if the vehicle was street legal.

The license plate came back as being stolen out of Columbia, Missouri, so the officer stopped the Wienermobile and detained the driver. Oscar Mayer had not notified police that they had obtained a duplicate replacement plate after the previous one was stolen, and that it should be considered stolen only if not on a Wienermobile. The Wienermobile was released soon after the error was discovered.

On July 17, 2009, a Wienermobile on a cul-de-sac in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, was attempting to turn around in a residential driveway. The driver, thinking the vehicle was in reverse, accelerated forward, lodging the Wienermobile under a house and destroying the house’s deck.

On January 26, 2020, a Wienermobile was pulled over by a Waukesha, Wisconsin, sheriff’s deputy for violating the Move Over Law, which requires motorists to switch lanes to pass an emergency vehicle with its warning lights on. The driver was issued a warning.

In February 2023, during the Super Bowl LVII weekend, an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Las Vegas had its catalytic converter stolen. PETA offered to pay for the replacement part and maintenance for one year if Oscar Mayer converted the vehicle to a vegan hot dog mobile.

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