On both toy hot rod threads in this forum, the small Tonka Model A hot rods from the sixties appear from time to time. I have made a mission of trying to find one of every version every made. I am currently up to 47 different toys. It seems that a lot of toy companies around the world produced knock-offs of the original Tonkas. Even though they may not be made by Tonka, you can see their origins with the heavy square section front bumper, slightly squat Model A grille shell, flattened Model A front fenders and what I call the water pipe style exhaust headers/ manifold. Tonka themselves did a bunch of revisions of their own toys. There were four different body styles in the first two series at least, being a roadster, a Tudor, a roadster pickup and a phaeton. I have mine on display on and around a vintage Marx tinplate service station. If anyone would like to see photos of any individual toys in these photos just shout out as I have most of them photographed individually as well. Apart from threads like these ( thanks Ron!) there seems to be very little information about these toy hot rods. Anyone else got some different ones to share here? Cheers Alan
This one was sold as a tootsie toy, backed up by images from the internet, but no maker’s marks that I can tell. This thing is small, and a reasonable knock off of a coyote race car. Mine is a blue number 5, bought the old fashioned way at a antique mall, paid cash and tax, but no boxing or shipping involved.
Picked up this Korris Kars plastic roadster yesterday. Prepped for Bonneville with no windshield, motor cycle fenders, boards and bumpers stripped, complete with a Road Hog sticker on the grille. The rear axle is gear driven by a small motor, but the battery case is missing.
The Jalopy Journal
