Engineering:Wienermobile

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A fleet of brandmobiles shaped like a hot dog on a bun, called "Wienermobiles", are used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. The first Wienermobile was created by Oscar Mayer's nephew, Carl G. Mayer, in 1936.[1] For a brief period in 2023, it was renamed the "Frankmobile", but following popular demand, the name was changed back to "Wienermobile."[2]

First version and debut

The initial 1936 vehicle—not yet termed a "Wienermobile" in publicity—weighed 2000 pounds and cost $5000 to fabricate.[3] Its first public appearance was in Janesville, Wisconsin on 16-17 October 1936, having been completed in Chicago the day preceding (15 October).[4] Appearing with the new vehicle was Oscar Mayer’s “World’s Smallest Chef”— “19 years old, 42 inches tall, and weighs 45 pounds.”[5] The identify of this first “Little Oscar” making promotional appearances is not known. Meinhardt Raabe took the position only sometime after his mid-1937 hiring by Oscar Mayer,[6] and held it until at least 1941.[7][8]

The “Weinermobile” promotional name didn’t exist in the 1930s-40s and debuted only in 1951.[9] In the 1936-41 years publicity for the vehicle is variously “Wiener Truck,”[10] “Oscar Meyer Truck,”[11] “German Wiener Sound Car,”[12] “World’s Largest Wiener Car,”[13] and “Giant Wiener Sound Truck”[14]

History

The 1952 Oscar Mayer Wienermobile at the 2005 North American International Auto Show
An Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 2022

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has evolved from Carl Mayer's original 1936 vehicle[1] to the vehicles seen on the road today. Although the first Wienermobile was scrapped for metal in the 1940s to aid the US Army during World War II,[15] Oscar Mayer and the Gerstenslager Company created several new vehicles using a Dodge chassis[16] or a Willys Jeep chassis in the 1950s. The 1952[17] model is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Beginning in the 1950s Wienermobiles were usually piloted by "Little Oscar" (portrayed by George Molchan) who would visit stores, schools, orphanages, and children's hospitals and participate in parades and festivals.[18] Noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens is also credited with a "new look" 1950s design, taking advantages of the possibilities of modern molded fiberglass construction[19] "to put the wiener in the bun" in 1958.[20]

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.[citation needed]

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

In 1988, Oscar Mayer had a fleet of six Wienermobiles built using converted Chevrolet van chassis; by 1995 all had accumulated more than 250,000 miles.[21]

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).[22] This version also included the upgraded large parallelogram windows which could now open, as designed by Sheldon Theis.[citation needed]

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,[clarification needed] and sports fourth generation Pontiac Firebird taillights.[citation needed]

Following mechanical problems with the Isuzu NPR, 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.[citation needed]


In June 2017, the company introduced several new hot dog-themed vehicles, including the WienerCycle, WienerRover, and WienerDrone.[23]

In May 2023, Oscar Mayer announced that it was renaming the Wienermobile to the Frankmobile, to promote a new recipe for its all-beef franks. It was suggested that the name change would not be permanent.[24][25] The name was changed back in September 2023.[26]

For Carb Day, prior to the 2025 Indianapolis 500, all six Wienermobiles took part in the inaugural Wienie 500. Slaw Dog won the 2 lap race around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[27]

Year Manufacturer/Builder Chassis Engine
1936 General Body Company – Chicago, Illinois Purpose-built chassis N/A
1952 Gerstenslager – Wooster, Ohio Dodge chassis N/A
1958 Brooks Stevens Willys Jeep chassis N/A
1969 Oscar Mayer – Madison, Wisconsin Chevrolet chassis with Ford Thunderbird taillights V6 engine
1975 Plastics Products – Milwaukee, Wisconsin fibreglass/styrofoam replica of 1969 V6 engine
1988 Stevens Automotive Corporation – Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chevrolet van chassis with Ford Thunderbird taillights V6 engine
1995 Harry Bentley Bradley for Carlin Manufacturing – Fresno, California Purpose-built chassis with Pontiac Grand Am headlights, Pontiac Trans Am taillights N/A
2000 Craftsmen Industries – St. Charles, Missouri GMC W-series chassis 5700 Vortec V8
2001 Craftsmen Industries - San Antonio, Texas RAM 1500-series chassis, flipped axle 5.2L Magnum V8
2004 Prototype Source – Santa Barbara, California GMC W-series chassis with Pontiac Firebird taillights 6.0L 300–6000 Vortec V8
2008 ("mini" version) Prototype Source – Santa Barbara, California MINI Cooper S Hardtop 1.6L Supercharged I-4

Source: Oscar Mayer[28]

Wienermobile drivers

Six Wienermobiles operate throughout the United States.[29][30][31]

The driver of a Wienermobile is called The Hotdogger. The Hotdogger job is to "meat" and greet people around the country.[32] 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."[29]

[33] 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.[34] 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.[29] Notable Hotdoggers include former US House Speaker Paul Ryan.[35]

Models

Toys and scale replicas of the Wienermobile have been made over the years, with Hot Wheels issuing die-cast versions of the vehicle.[citation needed]

Notable incidents

On 5 July 1973, an abandoned Wienermobile was recovered by Seattle police about ten miles from the city's Oscar Mayer facility, where the theft had taken place.[36]

On 18 June 2002, in greater Washington DC, a Virginia trooper--whose job was "to stop large vehicles that might be carrying terrorist explosives" near the Pentagon--halted the touring Wienermobile and "directed it to an exit that would allow the vehicle to bypass the Pentagon."[37]

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Omaha, Nebraska, in August 2006

In June 2007, a Wienermobile with the Wisconsin vanity 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,[38] 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.[39][40][41]

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.[42]

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.[43]

In February 2023, during the Super Bowl LVII weekend, an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Las Vegas had its catalytic converter stolen.[44]

In July 2024, a Wienermobile on I-294 near Chicago collided with a passenger sedan and flipped onto its side. No injuries were reported.[45]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "1936 Oscar Mayer Wienermobile". http://www.newtondowntowncarshow.com/OscarMayer_Wienermobile1936.jpg. 
  2. ↑ "Hot dog! The Wienermobile is back after short-lived name change" (in en). 2023-09-21. https://apnews.com/article/wienermobile-oscar-mayer-frankmobile-5f46ec0d6b35a32ca7d1f4f48075a971. 
  3. ↑ “See Him Tomorrow…In World’s Largest Wiener Car” (Oscar Mayer advertisement). Decatur (IL) Herald and Review, 10 June 1937, 10.
  4. ↑ “Tiniest Chef Given Royal Greeting.” Janesville Gazette, 19 October 1936, 7.
  5. ↑ “Tiniest Chef Given Royal Greeting.” Janesville Gazette, 19 October 1936, 7.
  6. ↑ “U.W. Midget Gets Job With Packing Firm.” Wisconsin State Journal, 9 June 1937, 10.
  7. ↑ “’Little Oscar’ Will Be Seen in July 4 Celebration Show.” The Escanaba (MI) Daily Press, 31 July 1941, 3.
  8. ↑ “Little Oscar, Called Smallest Chef, to Be In City Monday.” Rhinelander (WI) Daily News, 14 June 1941.
  9. ↑ “Kids line up for balloons and close-up of the new Oscar Meyer “weinermobile” that visited Chicago Heights Saturday” (standalone photo caption). Chicago Heights Star, 11 December 1951, 17.
  10. ↑ “Meat Firm to Send Midget to Decatur.” Decatur (IL) Herald, 10 June 1937, 20.
  11. ↑ “Tiniest Chef Given Royal Greeting.” Janesville Gazette, 19 October 1936, 7.
  12. ↑ “Koach’s-727 February Food Event.” DeKalb (IL) Daily Chronicle, 5 February 1937, 8.
  13. ↑ “See Him Tomorrow…In World’s Largest Wiener Car,” (Oscar Mayer advertisement). Decatur (IL) Herald and Review, 10 June 1937, 10.
  14. ↑ “Grand Opening—Wolffs United Food Market” (full-page advertisement) Bridgeport (IL) News, 18 April 1940, 8.
  15. ↑ Berg, Bailey (2020-10-20). "Six Enormous Hot-Dog-Shaped Vehicles Travel America, Spreading Only Brand Awareness and Joy" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/style/inside-oscar-mayer-wienermobile.html. 
  16. ↑ "1952 Wienermobile - The Henry Ford". https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/13269. 
  17. ↑ Actually, the vehicle was completed and first appeared in 1951, though perhaps on a "model year 1952" chassis. See “Kids line up for balloons and close-up of the new Oscar Meyer “weinermobile” that visited Chicago Heights Saturday” (standalone photo caption). Chicago Heights Star, 11 December 1951, 17.
  18. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (2 May 2005). "George Molchan, 82; Toured the Nation as 'Little Oscar'". Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-02-me-molchan2-story.html. 
  19. ↑ "Brooks Stevens reimagined the 'Wienermobile of the Future' and an American classic was born", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 19, 2019
  20. ↑ "The Modern Hygiene Vacuum Cleaner". http://www.1377731.com/modern. 
  21. ↑ "New, sleeker wieners ready for the road" (Associated Press story). Baldwin Press-Register (Mobile, AL), 31 January 1995, 4.
  22. ↑ "This Car Is One to Relish". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (70): 136. May 1995. 
  23. ↑ "Oscar Mayer Adds New Vehicles, Drone to WienerFleet" (in en). NBC 10 Philadelphia. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/weird/Planes-Trains-and-Wienermobiles-431093183.html. 
  24. ↑ Valinsky, Jordan (17 May 2023). "Oscar Mayer's Wienermobile is getting a new name" (in en). https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/17/business/oscar-mayer-wienermobile-new-name/index.html. 
  25. ↑ "Oscar Mayer Is Changing the Name of the Wienermobile" (in en). Jalopnik. 17 May 2023. https://jalopnik.com/oscar-mayer-changes-name-of-wienermobile-to-frankmobile-1850445115. 
  26. ↑ "Hot dog! The Wienermobile is back after short-lived name change" (in en). 2023-09-21. https://apnews.com/article/wienermobile-oscar-mayer-frankmobile-5f46ec0d6b35a32ca7d1f4f48075a971. 
  27. ↑ "Watch The Inaugural Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 Wienermobile Race Here, Starting At 2 P.M.". https://www.jalopnik.com/1867653/oscar-mayer-wienie-500-how-to-watch/. 
  28. ↑ Cruising in Time (web archive)
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Berg, Bailey (October 20, 2020). "Six Enormous Hot-Dog-Shaped Vehicles Travel America, Spreading Only Brand Awareness and Joy". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/style/inside-oscar-mayer-wienermobile.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage. "A pandemic cannot stop either marketing or human emotions" 
  30. ↑ "Looking For The Wienermobile?". https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile. 
  31. ↑ "Everything You Need To Know About The Wienermobile...". 103.3 WKFR. May 20, 2019. https://wkfr.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-wienermobile/. 
  32. ↑ Noennig, Jordyn (January 6, 2020). "Want to get paid to travel? Oscar Mayer is looking for 12 people to drive the Wienermobile cross country". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2020/01/06/oscar-mayer-hiring-next-class-hotdoggers-drive-wienermobile/2824362001/action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage. "If you've ever dreamed of seeing the country through the windshield of a 27-foot hot dog on wheels, this might be your #dreamjob." 
  33. ↑ Bolat, Josh. "Wohnmobil gebraucht kaufen". https://www.alle-lkw.de/wohnmobile/alles. 
  34. ↑ "Be A Hotdogger - Recruitment Brochure for Wienermobile Spokesperson - Hotdogger - Official Job Description Handout.". https://d167y3o4ydtmfg.cloudfront.net/367/studio/assets/v1549000605042_1991586937/OM_hotdogger_WMB_013119.pdf. 
  35. ↑ "Hot dog! The Wienermobile is back after short-lived name change" (in en). 2023-09-21. https://apnews.com/article/wienermobile-oscar-mayer-frankmobile-5f46ec0d6b35a32ca7d1f4f48075a971. 
  36. ↑ "Recover Missing $35,000 Hot Dog." Kenosha News, 6 July 1973, 2.
  37. ↑ "No, Oscar Mayer Wiener Can't Roll Past Security." Tampa Bay Times, 23 June 2002, 14A.
  38. ↑ "Cop pulls over Wienermobile as stolen!! « Dvorak News Blog". http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2007/06/30/cop-pulls-over-wienermobile-as-stolen/. 
  39. ↑ "Police officer stops Wienermobile". July 24, 2012. https://www.myheraldreview.com/police-officer-stops-wienermobile/article_2138633f-9aab-5a20-85a0-24ec220cadf9.html. 
  40. ↑ "All the Latest Frankfurter Developments". New York Times. June 29, 2007. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/all-the-latest-frankfurter-developments/. 
  41. ↑ Cops ketchup with Wienermobile
  42. ↑ "Oscar Mayer Wienermobile loses control, crashes into Racine home". July 17, 2009. http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/51050767.html. 
  43. ↑ Koran, Mario (29 January 2020). "World's wurst driver: Oscar Mayer Wienermobile gets frank warning from officer". https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/28/oscar-mayer-wienermobile-police-stop-wisconsin. 
  44. ↑ Clayton, Abené (February 14, 2023). "Wienermobile in a pickle after falling victim to catalytic converter thieves". https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/13/weinermobile-in-a-pickle-after-falling-victim-to-catalytic-converter-thieves. 
  45. ↑ "Oscar Meyer Wienermobile crashes; flips on its side on busy Chicago-area roadway" (in en-US). NBC Chicago. 2024-07-22. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/oscar-meyer-wienermobile-crashes-flips-on-its-side-on-busy-chicago-area-highway/3497299/. 



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