√No cat for this dog: Wienermobile stranded after catalytic converter theft

Only the wurst kind of criminals would do this. We hope police ketchup with them.

The iconic Oscar Meyer Hotdog ‘Wienermobile’ promotional van has fallen victim to the global surge in thefts of catalytic converter exhaust filters.

In Las Vegas last week for promotional events to support the Superbowl, the Weinermobile had to be towed to a local workshop after the 8-metre-long van wouldn’t start because someone had crawled under it to steal its catalytic converter.

The anti-pollution device – which has been standard on all new cars for more than two decades – is literally worth more than its weight in gold thanks to the precious metals inside.

Originally conceived as a marketing tool to transport company spokesman, Little Oscar, around the streets of Chicago in 1936, the Wienermobile has been a fixture of American hotdog culture ever since.

Wienermobiles have evolved over the years, using first a custom chassis, then Dodge, Willys Jeep, Chevrolet motorhome and even RAM 1500 underpinnings.

Today, the Wienermobile is based on a Chevrolet W4 truck platform (Isuzu NPR) and is powered by a 6.0-litre V8 (242kW).

This means despite the hotdog van’s classic exterior, its exhaust system is equipped with a catalytic converter, as is the case with most modern cars.

According to Fortune.com, a technician at the Penske Truck service centre tasked with getting the giant hotdog back on the road noted a new replacement unit could take up to two months to source – due to widespread thefts of the anti-pollution devices.

Catalytic converters are stolen because the precious metals contained within makes them worth hundreds of dollars each to scrap metal dealers.

Manufacturers are investigating the installation of protective shields, making it harder to remove the items, as well as VIN-code registration on the parts themselves, making it easier to trace and stop the trade in stolen goods.

As for the giant Wienermobile, the report notes the Penske service team were able to fit a temporary item to get the truck on its way and out to hungry hotdog fans just in the nick of time.

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