Las Vegas Thieves Steal Catalytic Converter From Wienermobile

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has been dogged by some thieves in Las Vegas.

The 27-foot hot-dog-shaped vehicle was in Sin City this past weekend for a series of events tied to Super Bowl weekend, but early Friday morning the Wienermobile’s catalytic converter was stolen, according to Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS TV.

As a result, the Wienermobile’s engine just couldn’t cut the mustard, so it had to be towed to a local truck rental facility to the shock of employees.

Joseph Rodriguez told the station he was surprised by what he saw when he got to work.

“A hot dog truck, no way,” Rodriguez told KLAS. “Imagine like a huge hot dog in the middle of your bay. There’s all these other trucks and you got to work on this.”

The crew did a minor repair to fit the Wienermobile with a “temporary” catalytic converter that allowed it to make a previously scheduled 10 a.m. appearance.

However, Rodriquez noted that there’s a four-month waiting list for catalytic converters.

Metro Police told KLAS that it has not yet received a theft report, but the hotel where it was parked said its corporate division is investigating.

Thefts of catalytic converters, a car part that filters out pollutants, have increased in recent years. According to the Los Angeles Times, Toyota Priuses — not novelty meat vehicles — are a typical target, as their catalytic converters can be resold for more than $1,000.

The Wienermobile first hit the road in Chicago in 1936, and has since expanded to a fleet of six, each traveling about 1,000 a week.