In the early 1960's Leon Hess, founder of Hess Corporation, wanted to provide a high quality, affordable toy for families during the holiday season. The first Hess Toy Truck was introduced in 1964 and, with a retail price of $1.29 including batteries, was a great value that became an instant success. Every model features working lights, the highest quality durability and craftsmanship, and unique and innovative designs. Because of these amazing subtleties and original features, the Hess Toy Truck grew to be an exciting holiday tradition and a collector's item for boys and girls of all ages, spanning generations. Here is a retrospective look at the Hess Toy Truck models over the past fifty years.

1964-65 Hess Tanker Trailer

1966 Hess Tanker Ship, The Hess Voyager

1967 Hess Tanker Truck

The first HESS Toy Truck, the HESS

TANKER TRAILER, is an authentically

styled miniature of the original Hess

tanker trailer. The truck is painted in the

company’s original colors and trimmed

with bright red accents.

The HESS TANKER SHIP is

an exact replica of the HESS

VOYAGER ship that was built

in 1962. The HESS VOYAGER

has become one of the most

popular pieces in the HESS

toy collection.

The 1967 HESS TANKER

TRUCK, an 18-wheel fuel tanker,

is also known as “The Red

Velvet Box” tanker for its

unique red velvet-lined box.

1968-69 Hess Tanker Truck

1970-71 Hess Toy Fire Truck

1972-1974 Hess Tanker Truck

1975 Hess Box Trailer

1968 and 1969 brought back

the HESS TANKER TRUCK.

The difference is that the

“Red Velvet Box” was

replaced with a white bottom

box.

The 1970-71 HESS FIRE

TRUCK is a replica of a fire

engine once used at the

company’s Port Reading

Refinery. This brilliant red

truck is still considered one

of the best models.

In 1972 and 1974, the

1968 HESS TANKER

TRUCK returned, with

subtle differences in the

detail of the trailer feet.

The 1975 model, a newly

designed HESS BOX

TRAILER was the second toy

to come with accessories, a

set of three miniature oil

barrels.

1976 Hess Box Trailer

1977 Hess Fuel Oil Tanker

1978 Hess Fuel Oil Tanker

1980 Hess Training Van

The 1976 truck is the same

as the 1975 HESS BOX

TRAILER, except the three

miniature oil barrels bear

the HESS logo.

The 1977 HESS FUEL OIL TANKER

has a modernized cab with a chrome

grill and headlight accents, and for the

first time the company’s name is

marked on the tires.

The distinguishing feature on

the 1978 version of the HESS

FUEL OIL TANKER is a wider

and bolder HESS logo on the

back.

The 1980 HESS TRAINING VAN is a

bold departure from previous

designs. Representing an actual

Hess vehicle, this toy has been

referred to as a “work of art in

miniature" and is one of the most

popular Hess Toy Truck models.

1982-83 First Hess Truck

1984 Hess Fuel Oil Tanker with Bank

1985 Hess Truck Bank

1986 Hess Fire Truck Bank

The “FIRST HESS TRUCK,”

considered one of the finest Hess

Toy Truck models, is a replica of

the second-hand truck founder

Leon Hess drove delivering fuel oil

to customers in 1933.

The HESS FUEL OIL TANKER

WITH BANK is the same

design as the 1977 tanker,

made into a bank, with a coin

slot on the rear of the tanker.

The 1982-1983 “FIRST HESS

TRUCK" was brought back in

1985, converted into a bank.

The vivid red HESS FIRE

TRUCK BANK has

outstanding detailing,

featuring a three section

extendable aerial ladder that

completely swivels.

1987 Hess 18-Wheeler Bank

1988 Hess Toy Truck and Racer

1989 Hess Fire Truck Bank

1990 Hess Tanker Truck

The HESS 18-WHEELER

BANK model started the

tradition of the HESS Toy

Truck being detailed in

white and green.

The 1988 HESS TOY TRUCK

AND RACER features, for the

first time, two toys in one. This

also marks the first time the

model year was added to the

license plate.

The 1989 HESS FIRE TRUCK

BANK, a white and green

version of the 1986 toy truck,

included a new and exciting

feature: a unique dual sound

siren.

The 1990 HESS TANKER

TRUCK truly glows in the

dark with internally

illuminated lights. Its

realistic sounding horn and

backup alerts are a first for

Hess tanker trucks.

1991 Hess Truck and Racer

1992 Hess 18-Wheeler and Racer

1993 Hess Patrol Car

1994 Hess Rescue Truck

The HESS TRUCK AND

RACER, though similar

to the 1988 model,

featured a restyled racer

and truck.

The HESS 18-WHEELER AND RACER

features a tractor trailer truck with

loading ramp transporting a friction-

powered race car, with several

illuminated HESS logos.

In 1993, the company featured a

car for the very first time. The

HESS PATROL CAR incorporates

an advanced lighting system for its

emergency flashers and flashing

headlights, along with internally

illuminated Hess logos.

The HESS RESCUE

TRUCK is a tow truck-

styled vehicle that comes

with exciting features: a

bright red aerial ladder,

emergency flashers, and

three types of sounds.

1995 Hess Toy Truck and Helicopter

1996 Hess Emergency Truck

1997 Hess Toy Truck and Racers

1998 Hess RV with Dune Buggy and Motorcycle

The 1995 HESS TOY TRUCK &

HELICOPTER marks the first year

a flying vehicle was added to the

flock. Finely detailed and packed

with features, including a working

motor of the helicopter, it remains

one of the most popular models,

selling a record 600,000 trucks in

the first three days of sales.

The 1996 HESS EMERGENCY TRUCK with

hydraulic telescoping ladder and 360°

high beam search light was the first toy

with the company name as “Hess

Corporation”.

This 1997 HESS TOY TRUCK AND

RACERS offered for the first time three

toys in one — a lighted box trailer with

two friction powered racers.

Remaining true to the

Hess tradition of fun,

quality toys is the HESS

RECREATION VAN with a

dune buggy and a

motorcycle that can

actually do ‘wheelies’.

1999 Hess Toy Truck and Space Shuttle with Satellite

2000 Hess Fire Truck

2001 Hess Helicopter with Motorcycle and Cruiser

2002 Hess Toy Truck and Airplane

The HESS TOY TRUCK AND SPACE

SHUTTLE WITH SATELLITE marked

the 35th anniversary of the HESS Toy

Truck and celebrated the arrival of

the 21st century.

The 2000 HESS FIRE TRUCK, the

first tractor-drawn aerial ladder

truck, features two emergency

sirens and a horn synchronized

with the flashing lights.

The HESS HELICOPTER WITH

MOTORCYCLE AND CRUISER features a

helicopter with two operating rotors and a

pivoting search light, and a lighted action

motorcycle and land cruiser.

The HESS TOY TRUCK AND AIRPLANE is

an 18-wheeler flatbed tractor trailer with a

motorized airplane. The trailer doubles as

a landing pad with a pull out ramp with

landing lights.

2003 Hess Toy Truck and Racecars

2004 Hess Sport Utility Vehicle and Motorcycles

2005 Hess Emergency Truck with Rescue Vehicle

2006 Hess Toy Truck and Helicopter

This massive, free-rolling 18-wheeler

HESS TOY TRUCK AND RACECARS

features an illuminated double-decker box

trailer with two sleek racecars that, for the

first time, are powered by reverse pull

friction motors.

The 2004 HESS SPORT UTILITY

VEHICLE AND MOTORCYCLES

marked the 40th anniversary of the

HESS Toy Truck. This year marked

the first time two motorcycles were

included.

The 2005 HESS EMERGENCY TRUCK

WITH RESCUE VEHICLE includes an

emergency truck and a rugged off-

road vehicle with a powerful friction

motor.

The 2006 HESS TOY TRUCK AND

HELICOPTER features a large white and

green tractor, a flatbed trailer that

doubled as a landing pad, complete

equipped with sequencing landing lights

and a helicopter with a working rotor.

2007 Hess Monster Truck with Motorcycles

2008 Hess Toy Truck and Front End Loader

2009 Race Car and Racer

2010 Hess Toy Truck and Jet Plane

The 2007 HESS MONSTER TRUCK

WITH MOTORCYCLES, a rugged off

road vehicle with a raised chassis,

and two roaring monster truck

sounds and horn, carries two hefty

twin engine motorcycles.

The 2008 HESS TOY TRUCK AND

FRONT END LOADER is a heavy

duty hauler with a hydraulic lift and

front end loader with a working

motor for forward and reverse

motion, a first for any Hess vehicle.

The 2009 RACE CAR AND RACER is an

ingenious design of a smaller race car

nested in a touch release hidden

compartment of a large one.

The 2010 HESS TOY TRUCK AND JET

PLANE marks the first time a jet plane has

joined the fleet, and offers the most

sounds ever on a Hess toy.

2011 Flatbed Utility Truck and Race Car

2012 Hess Helicopter and Rescue SUV

2013 Hess Toy Truck and Tractor

2014 Hess Toy Truck

The heavy duty, 2011 FLATBED UTILITY

TRUCK AND RACECAR includes a

stockcar style racecar featuring pullback

motor, working lights, and pushbutton-

activated four speed engine sounds.

The 2012 HESS HELICOPTER features

motorized main and tail rotors and three

authentic sounds, and includes an SUV style

resource vehicle.

This heavy-duty Hess Truck includes a fully motorized multi-terrain tractor with forward and reverse moveable motion and two loading buckets. It also debuts a new embedded feature that interacts with the “Hess Tractor Trek” virtual game.

The 2014 Hess Toy Truck will be revealed in October 2014.