Identifying Pre-70's Tonka Jeeps

The purpose of this guide is to help you with some basic pre-70's Tonka Jeep identification; which will provide you with some insight into a jeep's worth and authenticity, and could even help you avoid some of the major pitfalls while considering potential additions to your collection. Some of those may include; incorrect seller information due to general lack of knowledge about Tonka jeeps, or incorrect replacement parts on jeeps due to someone's lack of knowledge or simply to make a jeep look more complete for selling purposes. This review may even help you identify and locate the correct year parts if you are attempting restoration, which is becoming quite popular. It should also give you a better idea of what you have for sale when you go to do the write-up, without having to consult the Tonka Look Books that were put out for each year. This guide is a culmination of my experiences in the fun world of Tonka collecting and I hope it helps you as much as the knowledge I gained has helped me. Please be sure to vote YES below if my guide has helped you in any way. Happy Tonka-ing! 

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NOTE:  AS OF APRIL 2011, THIS IS THE NEW "REVISED AND CORRECTED EDITION"! "TO ERR IS HUMAN"!

1963 Dispatch from Family Living Set             A 1962  #249 Universal                A 1967 #304 Commander (w/o top)

From the first ones produced in 1962 to the post '70's, Tonka Jeeps look pretty much identical to the untrained eye. There are no identification numbers or dates of manufacture. There are however, many subtile differences that exist, which I will point out. Also, Mound, Minnisota wasn't the only Tonka factory in the world. I have bought a few that were made in Toronto, Canada and have seen some from other parts of the world. It would be interesting to find out where all the factories were located. The late '60's and early '70's gave rise to the addition of wider tires. Some models, made in 1969 and later, even have monster truck size tires on the same style bodies.  These are called Dune Buggies and I am not too familiar with these since my interest in pre 70's jeeps ends at 1968. Here are a few tips that I have learned along the way in purchasing collectible Tonka Jeeps of the 60's.

 In the beginning, the jeep main body was manufactured in three separate sections, not counting the fenders. Flip the jeep over and you will notice in the under hood area, the two seams of the three part body and the tabs that hold it together.

 (I am currently trying to add some detail photos here showing the 3-part body. I am having some technical difficulties. Not sure why but my pictures will not load here. Any advice on this?)

This body style was produced from 1962 to 1967. From 1968 on the main body was fabricated from a single piece of metal and when you look underneath, there are no seams in the hood area. Sometimes these seams get loose and it is kind of hard to get them to tighten up again. This is usually caused by extreme use and abuse.  So, in order for a 1963 Elvis jeep or a 1964 304 Commander to be authentic, it must have the two seams that identify it's body as correct. These will also have the pop-in windshields which I will explain later. The '62 through '64 jeeps can be identified by the round disc hubcaps (except for the 304 Commander, the 1962 #200 Dispatch and '64 #251 Universal, which have triangle holed hubcaps) and script style writing on the tires (see photos #1 and 2). The tires are made of solid rubber up through '65, then they switched to plastic. Block lettering and triangle holed hubcaps were used from '65 on. The triangle hole hubcaps differ from 1965 in that in the '65, they show the 5 lug-nut pattern around the center. The next year that lug nut pattern is gone. I managed to purchase a jeep with the two different style hubcaps which is what caused me to find out which style was correct for which year.

                                                 The 1962 Pink Elvis Jeep with it's fringed, pink top, rear seat, and spare tire in back is one very fine collectible and usually commands higher prices when in great to mint condition. This one is in very complete, C-8 condition and worth about $75 but my wife would kill me if I sold it! Mint without the box would be about $115. Recently, I figured out how to tell the '62's from the '63's and that is by the headlights. The '62 Pink Jeep will have headlight buttons that are smooth and the '63 will have the waffle pattern which also stick out a bit farther. Otherwise they are pretty much exactly the same. This version was continued in 1964 and the only difference will be the riveted-in windshield frame.

Another identifying feature of the earlier '60's jeeps is their pop-in or removable windshield. By "windshield", I mean the metal frame itself. Some people think they actually had a plastic windshield in the frame that is somehow missing. The 1965 models were the last to be manufactured with this feature. Pop-ins often popped out and got lost which is why you may notice quite a few jeeps being auctioned that are missing them. My rule is: if it's missing its windshield, you can bet it's one of these early style jeeps. I have noticed that some people replace them with rivet style frames which I consider a no-no. The way to spot them is that it sits a little too far forward on the jeep. My hope is that some day someone will manufacture an aftermarket, pop-in style to make it available again. Who knows, maybe that will be me. (Note: Aftermarket, pop-in windshields are currently available!)

The first of the wonderful AA Tow Jeep was made in 1964. It has a black windshield, black snowplow, and black tow tower with a wind-up string tow hook and cherry red beacon light on the hood. This was the jeep that "had it all" which makes it one of the most desired collectible Tonka Jeep on the market today. An identical version was produced in EARLY 1965.  The major difference is, of course, the white windshield frame instead of black. They made the same jeep in LATE 1965 and in 1966. Then in 1967, two other changes are noted which are; a one piece body instead of the 3-piece and they went to plastic tires as well. It is interesting to note that there were NO TOW JEEPS MADE IN 1969! In 1970 they made a dramatic reappearance but; the whole color scheme changed to a blue main body with orange snow plow and tow tower and a larger beacon light and white plastic holder. The tires are slightly wider. Even with these changes, the '70 is still a very desireable collectible because it was only made that year!. It's value remains pretty much the same as the earlier tow-jeeps.

Othe emergency vehicles that were made in the mid-60's include the Police Jeep in EARLY 1965, identified by it's black and white candy striped, hard plastic top, black fold-down windshield and red beacon light on the hood. It is one of the most sought after jeeps BECAUSE it was only produced for 6 months!  In LATE 1965, the surrey top was replaced with a black plastic top similar to the military jeep tops. The four roof support rods were sure not a great idea as far as child safety is concerned. They tend to break out the mounting holes as well making it rare to find a surrey top in sound condition. The red/orange Construction jeep in 1968 with a blue beacon light and the Orange LIFE GUARD jeep, also in 1968 with it's yellow life raft on top are a great value too, if they are not missing anything and the paint is in decent condition. I have seen the yellow life raft by itself go for over $100!

Another very popular Jeep is the Red 1963 Pumper Jeep with the fire-fighting pump body and fire extinguishers in the back. As always is the rule with these collectible toys, the more complete, correct and the more accessories it has, the higher the price will be!

The Commander army jeep can be a very desirable addition to a collection. But which ones are the most valuable? How do you tell the early years from the later ones? The first Commander army jeep was produced in 1965 and bears the numbers GR-2-2431 on the front fenders. The black-wall tires are made of rubber with script lettering. It has a green interior with a pop-in windshield and spare tire in the rear. All Commanders have a green top. In 1968, Tonka changed the interiors to white and plastic white-wall tires instead of rubber blackwalls (see #3 photo above). The white numbers on the fenders is G-2-2134. They dropped the R for some reason. Just remember GR - green interior. The 1969 version can be identified by its fatter tires. A complete GR with top and spare tire in C-8 and up condition will fetch anywhere from $50 to $75. Considerably more if it is in the box. The Tonka Air Force jeep arrived on the military scene in 1967 and I believe that is the only year it was made. Top price is about $35-$40 without the box.

 before

   after                                                                                     

This is one of my restorations and a good example of what some refer to as the "Gladiator" style Jeep Pickup. Styled after the well known Jeep Wagoneer of the same era (1968), the cab can be seen on a variety of Tonka creations such as the camper, cement mixer, and dump truck. In size, it is a bit smaller than the 10-1/2 inch jeeps and comparable to the Mini-Tonka jeeps. The tires are about 1/3 smaller. Prices seem to fall below the $15 range unless it has the box which can add up to $50 to the price! Emergency vehicles like the Police, Fire Chief, and Ambulance Wagoneers can bring about $25. It seems that anything that has a beacon light is always worth more. I have the feeling that the value of these will increase considerably in a few more years and are a collectible item that can be had at a very reasonable price!

If you are looking for the most collectible of the Tonka Jeeps, here is a short list and price ranges of what I call the "Holy Grail":

1. 1962 Elvis Pink Surrey Top Jeep: $25-$115
2. 1963 red Pumper Jeep: $30-$230 (with box)
3. 1967 Police Jeep with black and white surrey top: $40-$100
4. 1967, 1968 AA Wrecker Jeep: $25-$115, $200+(with box)

Jeepsters are another great Tonka collectible. These are the ones with the longer bodies and it's name imbossed in raised lettering on the front bumper. They look incredibly like a real Jeepster! When they were first manufactured in 1969, there were three models to choose from; the #2230 Pickup with black plastic top, the #2240 with no top, and the #2245 Convertible Sedan with top. The interiors are black plastic. These are a great find! I have hardly ever seen one of these, except for the pickup version! So, it doesn't meen it is incomplete if it is one of these without a top.  One major mistake Tonka made on these is the flimsy windshield. You may notice quite a few on the Bay with the windshield broken off. The identifying features are; skinny tires with chrome hubcaps, clear headlights and the flimsy windshield. In 1970 they came out with white interiors and tops on the #2245 Convertible and the pickup remained the same. You see a lot of these without tops because; well, you know kids! It is hard to say what year the next changes took place because of the way Tonka stopped listing some of their products. The major improvement on these is the re-inforced windshield (I think you actually could drive a car over it now!)  and fatter tires.They quit making the clear headlights But, now I am getting out the pre-70's era so, I better quit....for now! Was this guide helpful? Please vote YES if you have gained anything from it. Your "YES" vote will move this guide further up in ratings so more people may benefit from it!

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