Ford gets Tonka Tuff

While the Geneva Motor Show is currently stealing the limelight on the international automotive landscape, today (March 4) saw Ford slip a head-turning commercial vehicle into the spotlight at the NTEA Work Truck expo in Indianapolis, USA.

A collaboration with toy truck manufacturer Funrise Toy Corporation has led to the creation of the Ford F-750 Tonka – a promotional vehicle created to grab attention and put the spotlight on Ford's F-650 and F-750 commercial pickups.

Decked out with Tonka branding, traditional black and yellow Tonka livery and imposing highway tyres, the F-750 Tonka is far more than a plaything. Powered by a 6.7-litre Power Stroke V8 diesel, the tipper-format beast puts out 360Nm and a whopping 624Nm.

With a GVM of just under 15 tonnes, the truck has a payload capacity of over nine tonnes – giving it the ability to create sandcastles of palatial proportions…

According to John Ruppert, General Manager, Ford Commercial Vehicle Sales & Marketing, the promo truck underlines the tough and robust nature of Ford's F-Series platform.

"From Generation Z to Greatest Generation, Ford and Tonka continue to set the standards for tough trucks," he said.

"People of all ages have been counting on Ford F-Series and Tonka trucks to get the job done from construction site to sandbox for more than 60 years."

Kathy Hawk, Vice President of Marketing at Funrise Toy Corporation, said the company was thrilled to lend its name to the tie-up.

"We are proud that Tonka trucks are put to work every day around the world," she said.

"Creating this F-750 Tonka truck is a special way to celebrate that many of today's Ford truck customers first drove a Tonka truck."

Unsurprisingly the truck is hogging the limelight in Indianapolis, where more than a few showgoers could be found drooling over the ultimate sandpit stunner…