Home > Hess Truck Checklist – The 1990s
Hess Truck Checklist – The 1990s
This checklist summarizes the official Hess Toy Trucks of the 1990s, using the descriptions published by Hess.
It covers the 1990 Hess Tanker Truck through the 1999 Toy Truck and Space Shuttle with Satellite.
Each model in the table links to a dedicated page on this site with photos and more details.
| Year |
Model Name |
Description & Key Features |
| 1990 |
1990 Hess Tanker Truck
|
A powerful blend of design and construction, this tanker introduced a modern look with a return to the
split-windshield cab. Bold green striping runs the length of the nearly all-white tanker body.
Beyond the styling, it boasts thirty-four running lights plus headlights and taillights, and a
three-way switch underneath that lets you choose between a horn sound or backup alert.
|
| 1991 |
1991 Hess Truck and Racer
|
This Truck and Racer set updates the 1988 combo and continues the revival of the split-windshield cab.
The race car has a more aerodynamic shape and its motor was reworked for smooth, continuous rolling action. Triple
green striping on the truck’s sides ties the whole set together and gives it a sleek, streamlined look on the shelf.
|
| 1992 |
1992 Hess 18 Wheeler and Racer
|
A hulking transport, this 18-wheeler carries a high-speed racer behind a side display window in
the trailer. The truck features thirty-one lights, while the racer gets its own headlights and taillights powered
by two watch batteries. The car rests on a black platform that slides out like a ramp, so the racer
can roll straight into action.
|
| 1993 |
1993 Hess Patrol Car
|
The first car in the Hess line, this Patrol Car packs flashing red, blue and yellow emergency lights
that can be paired with two realistic siren sounds. It also sports working headlights and a total of
eight illuminated Hess logos. The Patrol Car shattered previous Hess sales records, sold out long
before Christmas, and even became the subject of national news coverage.
|
| 1994 |
1994 Hess Rescue Truck
|
Everything you’d expect from a rescue vehicle: bright lights, loud sounds and a tall ladder.
This tow-style Rescue Truck includes three sound effects (emergency siren, horn, and backup alert) plus
emergency flashers. The three-tier red ladder rotates 360 degrees and extends to around eighteen inches.
Adjustable mirrors and two chrome stabilizers at the rear complete the look.
|
| 1995 |
1995 Hess Toy Truck and Helicopter
|
A major milestone: the first aerial vehicle in the Hess fleet. The bold tractor-and-flatbed
truck is custom designed to carry a six-and-three-quarter-inch helicopter with a red single-blade rotor that
spins at the press of a button or flip of a switch. The chopper includes a movable front searchlight, flashing
lights, a rear rotor, and recessed landing gear wheels. The fourteen-and-a-half-inch tractor has twenty lights
in the cab alone, and the trailer doubles as a landing pad with a hidden slide-out ramp and bed indentations to
keep the helicopter secure in transit.
|
| 1996 |
1996 Hess Emergency Truck
|
From the chunky treaded rubber tires to the angular, imposing cab, the Emergency Truck is built to look tough.
It includes a full suite of sounds: backup alert, emergency siren, and horn, plus a rotating
high-beam searchlight. The triple-tier ladder rotates and extends to about fifteen and a half inches, making
this one of the most dramatic ladder trucks in the series.
|
| 1997 |
1997 Hess Toy Truck and Racers
|
The Hess Toy Truck and Racers was the first 3-in-1 set. A lighted box trailer carries two
push-friction race cars. Open the rear by unlocking the door, pull out the ramp, and two very different racers
roll out: one green with white accents and a rear spoiler, the other white with green striping and an exposed
chrome engine. All three vehicles – truck and both racers – feature working lights.
|
| 1998 |
1998 Hess RV with Dune Buggy and Motorcycle
|
Another 3-in-1 release, the Recreation Van (RV) adds two extra vehicles: a dune buggy and a
friction-powered motorcycle that can pop wheelies. The motorcycle’s lights are turned on and off by twisting the
rider’s helmet, while the dune buggy offers working headlights and taillights, off-road tires and a roll cage.
The RV itself has around thirty running lights, side compartment doors that fold down as ramps for the motorcycle,
and a rear door that opens by pressing the license plate to reveal a slide-out ramp for the dune buggy.
|
| 1999 |
1999 Hess Toy Truck and Space Shuttle with Satellite
|
Built to welcome the 21st century, this set sends the Hess Toy Truck into outer space. The
development spanned six years and the toy includes six batteries to power a range of lights and sounds that
roar, beep and flash in various combinations. Press the red button above the shuttle cockpit to open the cargo
bay doors and raise the detachable satellite, whose retractable solar panels deploy into place.
|
How to Use This Checklist
- Use the Year column to see the full sequence of Hess Toy Trucks from 1990–1999.
- Click the blue model names in the table to open the corresponding detailed page on this site.
- Use the Description & Key Features column (summarized from official Hess Toy Truck descriptions) to confirm that your truck is complete and correctly identified.
Related Hess Truck Checklist Guides
- Hess Truck Checklist – 1960s – the original B-61 Mack tanker, Hess Voyager ship, Red Velvet and white-bottom box tankers.
- Hess Truck Checklist – 1970s – the refinery fire truck, classic tanker reissue, box trailers and modern fuel oil tankers.
- Hess Truck Checklist – 1980s – Training Van, First Hess Truck, bank series and the Toy Truck and Racer set.
- Hess Truck Checklist – 1990s – tankers, racers, patrol cars, RVs and the Space Shuttle and Satellite set.
- Hess Truck Checklist – 2000s – modern tankers, race cars, SUVs and multi-vehicle sets.
- Hess Truck Checklist – 2010s – sleeker bodies, LED lighting and kid-focused play features.
- Hess Truck Checklist – 2020s – the most recent decade of Hess holiday trucks and innovations.
More Hess Reference Tools
|
|
