Hess Truck Facts

  Since it's the Holiday season, I thought that I would write about the Hess toy truck. So I compiled a list of facts about the trucks from over the years.

1. The first Hess truck that came out in 1964 was released two years in a row in 1964 and 1965.
2. Technically speaking the 1966 Hess Voyager is the second Hess Truck since the first one was released twice. In fact the Hess Voyager isn't a truck at all, it's a tanker ship.
3. 1968 and 1969 were the same truck with the exception of Woodbridge replaced Perth Amboy on the back of the 69 box
4. The 1970 Hess Fire Truck was released twice as well in 1971.
5. There wasn't a Hess Truck in 1973.
6. 1972's Hess Tanker Truck is basically the same as the 1974 version with the exception of the round trailer feet.
7. There wasn't a Hess Truck in 1979
8. 1981 did not have a Hess Truck either
9. 1982 and 83 were the same truck
10. 1984's truck was the first bank
11. 1985 is a reissue of 1982 and 83's truck but as a bank
12. There has been 4 Banks released starting in 1984 and ending in 1987
13. 2 have been helicopters, the first was in 2001 and 2012 respectively
14. 2 have been cars, 1993 and 2009
15. The first Hess Mini truck came out in 1998 and was a replica of the 1990 Hess Tanker truck and sold out in a day.
16. 1990 was the last year for a tanker truck.

2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car Review

  Yesterday at out annual Day After Christmas Party/dinner, I got the 2011 Hess Truck from my Aunt. This years truck is one of the best ones ever. I really mean it. It really is. Let's start out with the truck shall we. The truck is in the colors green and white and the truck is a rollback. The truck makes different sounds than the previous trucks in the past. It has a different sounding horn, engine start up noise, realistic backup warning, and the coolest feature, the sound of the loading ramp when you pull it down to load the race car and push the ramp back into the truck. The light features are the same. You have your all lights on position, flashers position and your lights off setting all on one switch. Now the one part of the truck that is interesting is the shocks and springs on the wheel wells on the truck so you can give the truck a realistic bounce while playing with it.
  Now on to the race car. The race car that comes with the truck is a stock car. Like the truck the race car is colored in green and white. For the first time ever on a Hess truck is Hess Express on the trunk of the race car.  Also the race car has an unusual design on the windshield and side windows, windshield wipers and two nets so the driver can get into the car. Actual stock cars don't have two nets or windshield wipers. This isn't a criticism in anyway, I'm pointing out something funny. Onto the lights and sound. Underneath the race car is a switch that turns on the lights including the headlights which ironically real stock cars do not have. To activate the sounds on the race car, there is a green button located where the gas cap is and you press it and it makes engine revving noises and the lights flash. The race car has a pullback friction motor.
  Overall I think that the truck is more fun than the race car. I highly recommend this toy. 2 C batteries are included.