MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The vintage Weinermobile, made popular by Oscar Mayer in the 1970s and reborn in the bologna-maker's recent marketing campaigns, has been donated to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported that the Madison Oscar Mayer factory is scheduled to close this summer and many items have been donated to the historical society.
The iconic Weinermobile was built in Madison in 1969 out of large fiberglass molds and placed on a Chevy frame. It was 23 feet long and the first model to be shipped around the world. The vehicle has not been in use since 1987 and will be restored before moving to the new state archive preservation facility later this year.
There have been 13 different models over the years. The 1969 Wienermobile will become just the second to be displayed at a museum. A 1952 model can be seen at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
Ed Roland, senior marketing manager for Kraft Heinz which heads the Weinermobile program, said the 1969 model has a special place in Weinermobile lore. The Weinermobile project stopped in 1976, only to be revived when the 1969 Weinermobile drew large crowds on a special tour.
"But it's special that it's going to the state Historical Society," he said, "that it's staying home in Madison."
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