What year was the first hess truck

In the early 1960s, Leon Hess, founder of the Amerada Hess company (later called just Hess) started a casual conversation with a toy maker who happened to be seated behind him at a ball game. Hess wanted a toy truck for his oil company to use as a gift to his loyal customers. The conversation launched a successful series of holiday vehicles that continues to this day. (No one recorded who won the ball game, though.) The first truck, a Hess gas tanker, arrived just before the holidays in 1964, and it sold for $1.39--baterries included. It was quite sophisticated and detailed: the tank could be filled with water and emptied through its delivery hose. The toy was a huge success. Hess service stations sold out of their inventory quickly. In the years since that first tanker was introduced, the company has issued a different vehicle each year, and for many American kids, the appearance of the Hess truck signaled the start of the holiday season. The more than forty distinctive vehicles released by Hess have been coveted by collectors as well as kids.

A new decade brought a new toy. The Hess Training Van was modeled after the GMC Royale motorhome. Hess used these motorhomes to conduct training sessions. It was the first time a lighted Hess logo was on the side of one of the toy vehicles. Hess had their first commercial ever on TV to advertise this toy.

8. 1982-83 First Hess Truck

This was one of the most detailed toy trucks from Hess. It is a replica of the six-wheeled Chevy that Leon Hess (the founder) drove back in 1933. It is painted in the original Hess colors.

9. 1984 Hess Fuel Oil Tanker with Bank

This Oil Tanker was important for two reasons. It was the first toy that featured a coin slot, where children could hide money. It was also the last Hess truck to use a single D battery.

10. 1987 Hess 18-Wheeler Bank

This was the first white trailer and also has a coin slot. It also comes with three green Hess oil barrels.

11. 1988 Hess Toy Truck and Racer

This was the first time Hess released two-toys-in-one, added license plates with the year of issue, and featured vehicles not based on actual Hess trucks. It was a big year!

12. 1989 Hess Fire Truck Bank

This was Hess’s first white fire truck and the first to feature built-in sound effects. You could turn on a siren and lights.

Read on to the next page to head into the 1990s!

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Do you remember opening up gifts on Christmas morning and getting a Hess Toy Truck? Hess Toy Trucks have been around since the mid-1960s and they are still one of the most beloved toy trucks available. While the look of the toys has certainly changed a bit over the years, this iconic toy brand is still loved by many. They don’t just make trucks, but they also sell toy helicopters, trailers, cars, and more.

Do you remember what some of the vintage Hess Toy Trucks looked like? The first Hess Toy Truck was made in 1964 and was a Hess Tanker Trailer. It featured working headlights and taillights, which was rare for a toy in these days. It also has a tank that could be filled with water and emptied. How many vintage Hess Toys do you remember?

The first Hess toy was a Tanker Trailer that featured those working lights, a funnel to fill the cargo tank, and a green hose to empty the tank. It was one of the most popular toys in those days and was based on the actual Hess tanker trailers that delivered gas to Hess stations.

A few years after the success of their first toy, they came out with the Hess Tanker Ship which is a replica of the Hess Voyager. It is the longest Hess toy out there and a classic if you love toy boats.

3. 1967 Hess Tanker Truck

This truck has working headlights and taillights and a flexible hose. The bottom of the box it came in was red velvet and you could use it as a display stand for your toy truck.

4. 1970-1971 Hess Fire Truck

5. 1975 Hess Box Trailer

6. 1977 Hess Fuel Oil Tanker

Read on to the next page to go into the Hess Toy Trucks of the 1980s and beyond!