The Tono engines were manufactured in Vysoké Mýto, a small town in the Pardubice region of the former Czechoslovakia. The original Tono prototypes were built in 1957 by a pair of then-amateur constructors named František Starý and Velké Ćermné. Both 2.5 cc and 5 cc glow-plug engines were made at that time. A diesel version of the 2.5 cc model was also produced in very limited numbers. This was to be the only diesel ever produced under the Tono name - all other Tono mdels were glow-plug units.

In 1959 Starý introduced a neat little 1.16 cc glow-plug motor featuring crankshaft front rotary valve (FRV) induction. This turned out to be the last Tono model to feature FRV induction - thereafter, all Tono models utilized rear drum valve induction. These later engines were all built to a more or less common design. They were produced in a range of displacements from 3.85 cc all the way up to 9.85 cc. All of them featured twin ball-race crankshafts, while the 9.85 cc Tono 10 "Super" model of 1964 also sported a twin-plug head. Both R/C and unthrottled "Sport" models were offered.

The Tono 10 "Super" unit turned out to be the last new model to be offered under the Tono brand-name. Production of the engines ended during the second half of the 1960's.

The Tono engines were produced to very high standards of quality. They also performed extremely well for their displacements. A full history of the Tono range, including bench tests of several models, may be found elsewhere on this website.