Auction descriptions and collector notes indicate that Etna gasoline was sold in parts of southern Virginia and North Carolina.
The toy trucks documented so far are mid-1960s Marx B-Mack tankers carrying ETNA markings on the cab and trailer, produced in far smaller numbers than their Hess counterparts.
Etna Toy Truck Checklist (Documented B-Mack Models)
| Approx. Year |
Etna Model |
Notes / Features / Collector Interest |
| 1964 |
Marx Etna B-Mack Tanker (No Funnel) |
Early Etna tanker on the Marx B-Mack mold used for the first Hess truck.
Commonly described as closely resembling the 1964/1965 Hess tanker, but with ETNA on the cab grille or front and ETNA decals along the trailer instead of Hess branding.
Headlights typically light up; some examples have minor decal differences compared with Hess.
|
| 1965 |
Etna B-Mack Tanker with Funnel |
Variation of the Etna B-Mack tanker supplied with a red funnel and battery card, paralleling the Hess funnel tankers of the period.
Reference materials and auction listings group this truck with other funnel-equipped B-Mack variations such as Hess, Service, Billups, Gant, Travelers and McCoy.
Extremely small numbers are known; boxed examples with funnel and inserts are especially prized.
|
Etna Brand Story & Confirmed Connection to B-Mack Trucks
The detailed corporate history of Etna gasoline is outside the scope of this guide, but multiple sales descriptions and clone checklists agree on a few key points:
- Etna was a small regional gasoline brand with stations in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
- Marx produced Etna-branded toy B-Mack tankers in the mid-1960s, using the same core cab and trailer tooling as the 1964/1965 Hess tanker.
- Etna appears alongside Service/Servco, Wilco, Travelers, Billups, Gant and McCoy in lists of documented B-Mack “clone” or companion trucks made on that mold.
These Etna trucks are therefore best understood as officially produced, Etna-branded variants of the B-Mack tanker, rather than later plastic clones or fantasy pieces.
How Rare Are Etna Toy Trucks?
Based on the public record and the way they are described when they appear for sale:
- Etna B-Mack tankers are routinely labeled as “very rare” or “extremely rare” in auction catalogs.
- Only a small number of loose trucks, and even fewer boxed trucks with funnel and inserts, have been documented.
- No official production numbers have been released; all rarity information comes from surviving examples and specialist research.
For that reason, Etna sits near the top of many collectors’ clone rarity lists, even when compared to better known names like Wilco and Servco.
Etna Collector Tips (Evidence-Driven)
• Look for ETNA on the cab front or grille and along the tanker sides, applied in a style consistent with mid-1960s Marx graphics.
• Compare the cab casting, wheels and trailer details directly to a 1964/1965 Hess tanker to confirm that the core mold matches.
• Treat any boxed Etna B-Mack with funnel and paperwork as a major piece – document it carefully before cleaning or display.
• Because so few are known, clear photos and provenance notes are useful to the wider clone-collecting community.
Etna B-Mack tankers use the same basic lighting and battery arrangement as the 1964–1965 Hess trucks and other B-Mack variants.
For safe restoration or display, you can reference our
Hess Toy Truck Battery Size Chart
and consider pairing them with reproduction
Battery Cards.
