This was in the 80s (although the truck may have originated from before then), when Tonka produced big construction vehicles, usually involving a large amount of metal. Send my (newly repainted) truck rolling down the sloping driveway and pity anything that got in its way. It was a monster. An indestructable monster that survives to this day. Although Tonka produced a number of other toys in its time, including dolls, this is how I - and many others - remember Tonka: producing big, chunky, strong and tough trucks.
In 1991 Tonka was bought by Hasbro and now HTI have licensed the brand to produce a new range of vehicles, figures and playsets called Tonka Town. They're not made of metal (what is these days?) but they retain their strong, tough roots and have expanded from construction to also include police and fire. To accompany the new line there's a website (www.tonkatown.com) and a Tonka Town magazine launching in mid-October - the first issue of which comes with a Tonka Town figure.
The fire station is the largest set in the range, costing just under £40. It's a 3-level playset, with garage, command centre and training tower. It's big and colourful and, having given it a reasonably good kicking for testing purposes, it seems to hold up to the strong & tough nature you'd expect from something branded 'Tonka'.
