Johnny Lightning 1970 Chevrolet Corvette

It can be a real challenge to maintain a 50-year old classic car like this 1970 Chevrolet Corvette.  However, the folks at Johnny Lightning have made it much easier by dramatically reducing the size and mechanical complexity of their Corvette.

Johnny Lightning 1970 Corvette Stingray

 This die-cast model fits in a pocket and always looks good.  It also packs an amazing amount of detail.  On this model, the hood flips forward just slightly to reveal a powerful V-8 engine.

Johnny Lightning 1970 Corvette Stingray

This style of Corvette is called the C3 for third generation.  It has a low-slung curvaceous look and almost shark-like streamlining.  In my view, this is the best looking generation of Chevy Corvette. 

Johnny Lightning 1970 Corvette Stingray

For a larger golden alternative, check out this Maisto 1970 Corvette Stingray.

Johnny Lightning 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula

Here is another sharp car from my collection. It's a Johnny Lightning 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula.

Johnny Lightning 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula

Johnny Lightning 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula

Johnny Lightning 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula

Johnny Lightning 1949 Mercury Coupe

This car is one of the sleepers in my collection.  It's a Johnny Lightning 1949 Mercury Coupe.  Usually you see these cars chopped, slammed, and otherwise turned into hot rods.  In it's stock state, the 1949 Mercury Coupe has a dignified stately look with just a hit of mafioso.

Johnny Lightning 1949 Mercury Coupe

Johnny Lightning 1949 Mercury Coupe

My Johnny Lightning Tom Daniel Lil Van Dune Buggy

To keep the yellow die-cast car theme going this week, I'm turning to my Johnny Lightning Dune Buggy.  It's features a hot flame job on the hood. This dune buggy actually has some history.  It was originally designed by Tom Daniel a creative artist hired by Monogram models to create wild hot rods to add to the model makers line up. 

Johnny Lightning Dune Buggy

Johnny Lightning Dune Buggy (front)

 It's been a while since I posted any pictures of my dune buggy.  Here is a post of this dune buggy in sunny Florida. 

Johnny Lightning Dune Buggy (rear quarter & engine)

Johnny Lightning 1969 Pontiac GTO Custom with Tiger Stripes

If you've ever wanted a car to blend in with the rest of the parking lot, this Johnny Lightning 1969 Pontiac GTO with Tiger Stripes is not it.  Here I've pictured it in the parking lot of my local Ross store.

Check out my similar Johnny Lightning 1965 Pontiac GTO in tiger stripes.  These are definitely 1/64 scale die-cast cars with strong personalities!

Johnny Lightning Plymouth Prowler on the Hooch!

Here is my special edition Johnny Lightning Plymouth Prowler.  It's a beautiful car set against the swift waters of the Chattahoochee river.

According to packaging for this car, it is only 1 of 5000 made by Johnny Lightning.  This 1/64 scale Prowler has nice details like the step by the door.

The concept behind the real Dodge Prowler was to build a modern car with vintage hot rod looks.  It succeeded well in it's niche.  The only criticism that I remember of the real Prowler is simply that it did not have enough power to satisfy the hot rodders and drag racers.

I simply like the retro modern car movement.  It's one way to have a modern car with personality.

Johnny Lightning Ford Mustang II Cobra

The mid-1970s was a rather uninspiring time for the auto industry.  Gas crises in the Middle East forced a shift towards more economical cars and ended the race to build furiously powerful muscle cars.  One of the resulting cars was the Ford Mustang II.  Introduced in 1974, it didn't even offer a V-8 engine as an option.  However, it was a car for the times and the Ford Mustang II was a great seller for Ford.

By 1975, a 5.0-liter V-8 was introduced as an optional powerplant.  In 1976, an option package called the Cobra II brought a high performance look to the V-8 powered Mustang IIs.  According to Wikipedia, the Ford Mustang Cobra II could managed 0-to-60 in 10.5 seconds with a top speed of 106 miles per hour.

While the Ford Mustang II doesn't get much respect today, it did keep the Mustang alive so that it could return to glory.

 

Johnny Lightning Racing Mustangs

The Ford Mustang comes in many flavors and varieties including some full blown race cars.  Here are a couple of my Johnny Lightning Mustangs in full race regalia and ready to rumble.

Johnny Lightning Z8 James Bond Car

This is my Johnny Lightning BMW Z8 convertible from the James Bond collection.  This commemorates the Bond car from the movie "The World is Not Enough."

Johnny Lightning Little Red Wagon

This is my Johnny Lightning Little Red Wagon.  In 1965, the Little Red Wagon was the world's fastest truck and was a sensation on the drag racing circuit.  According to Wikipedia, it could do a mid-11 second quarter mile with a 120 mile per hour end speed.

Here is some vintage video of the Little Red Wagon doing some wheelstanding!

To read more, check out this Hot Rod Network article on the Little Red Wagon.

You never know when Lightning might strike!

Johnny Lightning Plymouth Fireball 500

Here is a really cool Johnny Lightning die-cast car.  It's a Plymouth Fireball 500.  I love the twin cockpit seating arrangement of this car.  The side pipes, tires, wheels, and flame job are simply awesome.  That's why it was in my pocket when I ate at Village Inn.

This is just one of my best die-cast cars period.  It looks good and it looks fast.

 It's just the coolest looking little car from Johnny Lightning.