Famed Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Latest Victim of Catalytic Converter Theft
The rising tide of catalytic converter thefts in the United States hit one of their most notorious victims to date: Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile.
First introduced by the meat production company in 1936, the famous hot dog-shaped vehicles are used to promote Oscar Mayer food, traveling across the country and stopping in cities or at major events. Six of the eye-catching 27-foot cars are currently in use.
One of the vehicles was stopped for the night in Las Vegas last week for Super Bowl-related events when it was believed to have been targeted for its catalytic converter, a component that turns the toxic byproducts of internal combustion into less noxious exhaust gases converts . The operators of the Wienermobile found that on Friday morning it would not start because of the stolen part, so it had to be towed away for repairs.
Penske Truck Rental eventually took care of the situation, fitting the unorthodox vehicle with a temporary catalytic converter and having it arrive on time for a 10 a.m. local time event. While the shop was able to find a part that adequately matches the vehicle, it takes up to two months to deliver a correct replacement part. It is currently unclear how Oscar Mayer will deal with the situation in the future.
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Joseph Rodriguez, parts manager at Penske, spoke to KLAS News about the absurdity of the situation in relation to the shop’s typical work.
“Definitely not a hot dog truck,” Rodriguez said. “Imagine yourself like a giant hot dog in the middle of your bay. There are all these other trucks and you have to work on that.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Friday morning it had received no reports of thefts related to the iconic brand car. Sonesta Suites, the hotel chain where the vehicle was parked overnight, told KLAS it is currently investigating the situation.
In recent years, catalytic converters have been increasingly targeted by thieves across the United States due to the high value of certain metals used in their manufacture, including palladium, rhodium and platinum. KLAS reported that over 2,600 converters were reported stolen to the Las Vegas Metro Police in 2022 alone. Nationwide, like many crimes, the trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported over 14,000 cases of catalytic converter theft, up from just around 3,400 in 2019.
“It’s a huge problem,” Rodriguez said of the trend he’s witnessed in the Las Vegas Valley. “It’s been like this for a few years now. Especially last summer it took about two to three months to get one.”
news week turned to Oscar Mayer for comment.