I am not posting this because it is a good photograph, but because it is the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. How many of you have seen this big guy up close? I’ve always thought it might be fun to ride way up there, surveying Madison from the top of a hot dog, but this is as close as I’ve gotten. I occasionally see the hot dog car cruising the streets of Madison – Madison, WI is the home of Oscar Mayer.
The Weinermobile was the brainchild of Oscar Mayer’s nephew, Carl G. Mayer, and first made its appearance driving the streets of Chicago in 1936. The sixth generation of Weinermobiles was built in 2004 and are equipped with voice activated GPS, an audio system with a wireless microphone and a horn that the Oscar Mayer Theme Song in 21 genres, from Cajun to Bossa Nova, Classical to Rap. It also has a ceiling painted sky blue with floating, fluffy clouds. There are currently 6 of these Weinermobiles in existence, and they travel the US from coast to coast 365 days a year.
Drivers of the Wienermobiles often hand out Wienerwhistles, little toy replicas of the Wienermobile that double as whistles. I, as a proud mother of 3, have probably collected a dozen or so of these screech-y things over the years. I wonder how much monetary value is attached to a 25 year old Weinerwhistle?
If you want to see a video of the very newest Weinermobile, ABC News covered the big story Weinermobile Goes Mini Cooper in March of this year. It takes a moment to pop the story, but its fun to see the new mini-weiner. (though you’ll have to spend 30 seconds watching a coffee commercial before the featured film – sorry)
About Bo Mackison
Hot diggity dog – you’re making me hungry.
I remember the weinermobile. I’d see them in Chicago when I was a kid. I always thought they were cool.
I checked out the link. The Mini Cooper version is even cooler.
Fun post today. Thanks
How cool! I’ve always wanted to see the Weinermobile. I’m going to have to come to Madison, I guess.
I’d love to hear the Bossa Nova version of the Oscar Meyer theme song.
Fun post, Bo. 🙂
I love the video. That would be a great summer job. Driving the hot dog all over.
I have never seen one – thanks! 😀
Since hubby first met me he told me about these and I had no clue what they look like :D!
LOL I’ve seen the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile before on the Interstate whizzing by while a stealth bomber flew overhead—smack dab in the middle of Kansas. That was one of the weirdest sights my husband and I have ever seen. And no, we didn’t have a camera with us. It happened too fast anyway and we were flabbergasted.
Way cool about the history of the Weinermobile. I didn’t know about the history or about the little toy replicas of the Wienermobile that double as whistles.
Yes, a fun post! Thanks. 🙂
I tease my kids about this auto… I alter between it will be my next car purchase and I can’t wait to take them to their school when they miss the bus – to this will be your graduation car… etc.. (p.s. I’ve only seen it on TV and on your site) I agree what a fun post!
Gandalf – Come to Madison, and mybe you can get a ride.
Robin – You’re welcome in Madison, too. A weiner-mobile party! 🙂
amelia _ that mini-Cooper is sure a sweet thing.
nicole _ probably don’t have much need for a weiner car in your part of the world
Anna – Somehow a stealth bomber/weinermobile combo would be a little hard to manage. BTW, the whistles are really loud.
aullori – maybe one of your kids could get a job as a weiner car driver for a year. though it’s a hard job to get – pretty popular with the road-trippers after college crowd.
Evidently the weiner car gets around. I saw it yesterday driving North on Route 5 in San Diego.
The weiner mobile was in a parade in Randolph Wi last Labor day weekend. Then just before the Weiner mobile we had a team of mini Daschunds (5) That pulled a small wagon with a stuffed hotdog with a slogan “Theres a new website in town” It was a float for our local veternarien. But technically the Weiner mobile was not considered to be anything with advertising. Then the car as at the park and you could see it up close. The drivers took pictures of the dogs beside the mobile. It was really cool.
Hello!
i’m one of the silent readers of Confident Writing and your mention of the wienermobile caught my attention … to me, any sighting of the wienermobile is a harbinger of good.
Exhibit 1. I’m in my advisor’s office in the psych dept at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discussing analyses for my dissertation. We came to agree that a finding finally emerged that was worth writing up. At that moment, I SWEAR, I saw out her window the wienermobile come into view and start trundling down the hill from the Sociology Building.
There are more stories like that, I don’t want to take up too much space blabbing about it – but i’ll point you to the post I put up where it’s all laid out in weird, magical, somewhat embarrassing detail 🙂
http://reluctantsherpa.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-happens-when-good-luck-charm-goes.html
Thank you for your postings – the photos bring me back to some very special times. 🙂
Wienermobile was sited in Sheboygan Wisconsin, late-August of 2008, parked in the Marina parking lot. The Wienermobile was empty, locked and unattended and families were holding up their camera cell phones and snapping away frantically.
i have seen this thing up close like three times! its driven past me a few times in howard county and each time its so exciting 😀
man, I saw the wienermobile going through Durham, N.C. about a week ago! I was jazzed! I, too, consider it to be a good omen. I think it means that the good times will return like the wienermobile.