Tonka Toys and Toyota
This weekend’s most entertaining purchase came from the used book stacks at Powells Books. It’s a book called Tonka. I bought it mostly for the images of all the old Tonka Toys, but when I started reading it I found that it was much more than just a picture book. The authors (one of whom is an old vice-president of the company), tell a compelling story about a small toy manufacturer from Mounds Minnesota. The book has interesting profiles of Tonka employees and gives a detailed history of the company before manufacturing was moved from Lake Minnetonka to El Paso. The company was bought in 1991 by Hasbro and although the Tonka brand still brings in millions a year, most of the manufacturing now takes place in China. I grabbed the above photo from this great collection. More Tonka here, and here.
On a somewhat related note (from toys to the real thing), the misses and I went to the Portland Auto Show this weekend. Meh. I think Sandra Bullock’s husband Jesse James put it best. When talking about the Ford Motor Company in this Sunday’s New York Times, he said:
“Look underneath a Mercedes or an Audi. It’s all stainless steel and aluminum, built to last. I don’t think we build stuff to last. In 1998, I bought an El Dorado. At 30,000 miles, it started to fall apart.
Detroit forgot the groundwork of Henry Ford: to make a car that anyone could buy. And to and make it nice and a pioneer in technology. I’m working on a hydrogen-powered car. Ford even has a motor I could have used, but they didn’t see a value in the project. But the Europeans are doing research on this, and the Japanese are, too.
Society’s changing. Look, I’m a biker with tattoos, but I drive a Mercedes Smart Car and I would drive a hydrogen-powered one.””
It was kinda sad really. Of course, the Toyota section was happening and the new 2007 Camry Hybrids and the retro styled FJ cruiser look nice, but the Ford and Dodge sections of the show were ghost towns. They really had nothing to compete against the foreign models. Dodge’s new 2007 Charger looks like it was designed for a demographic of foolish David Hasselhoff impersonators. Just awful.
For some reason the new Lexus Hybrid was on a “look but don’t touch” platform which was disappointing. It was also disappointing to see it’s fuel economy was only 18/25 (city/highway). I believe, in the 2007, you got to bring better than 18/25. Especially for a hybrid! Shit, even the new janky looking Mazdas sedans get 28/35.
The car my ass felt the most pampered in: Porsche Carrera GT.
The vehicle that hates tall people: The New Jeep Wrangler. Not designed for anyone over six feet tall.
Car with the most Dungeons & Dragons players lurking about: The Scion xB
The car I desire the most: my 2006 Passat. Yes, it’s STILL IN THE GOD DAMN SHOP!!