Kids have been playing with cars and trucks for a long time. In 1946, Mound Metalcraft began making colorful metal, and they were a hit. The company became Tonka Toys Incorporated in 1955 ...

Using 20-gauge automotive steel for the first toys, “after (the Second World War), steel was widely available and cheap,” noted Thiede, “and Tonka took advantage of this surplus.” The first tires were ...