TheSamba.com :: View topic - Johnny Lightning Volkswagen Die-cast Cars

Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:41 pm

Has anyone in the Johnny Lightning world, heard this rumor ?
Is it true about Johnny Lightning has been sold to another company ?
No More JL Cars ?...I haven't seen any at the stores...No More VW's ?
Also, I've heard that the company that has bought them will no longer be using metal base's and all be plastic, except for those more exclusively "specialty priced" models.
Give me some feedback on any truth to the matter.

I love my Volkwagen JOHNNY LIGHTNING Collection !

Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:43 pm

They just became more valuable.

Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:38 pm

Instead of starting a new thread, I thought I use this existing thread. Personaly I don't know the answer to the question, but would like to know.
Anyway, I going to start posting my Johnny Lightning's here.

Here is my latest purchase. Thanks, jtauxe.

Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:18 pm

Ive had these for a while.
M.A.C.E. Buses. Midwest Air-Cooled Enthusiasts. http://www.maceclub.org Although this is no longer the correct web site.
1964 VW Samba Bus. 21 window with sun roof.

Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:20 pm

These were found in an antique store.

Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:44 pm

How about a little history lesson?

The original Johnny Lightning cars were introduced by the Topper toy company in 1969, and the VW "Bug Bomb" was one of the 11 original models. These were the closest competitor to Mattel Hot Wheels, and at their peak, Topper was selling one Johnny Lightning car for every three Hot Wheels. Here are the Toppers from my collection. (I just need gold and I'll have all the colors.) Clockwise from the center: green, orange, lime, magenta, blue, red and purple.

Topper closed down in 1971, and it wasn't for another 23 years that Johnny Lightning reappeared in 2003, owned by Playing Mantis. Today, Johnny Lightning is owned by Round 2 Models, which also owns the Auto World and Racing Champions brands of diecast cars.

Website: http://round2corp.com/product-category/johnny-lightning/

Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:51 pm

Blue Baron, Thank you for the history and most of all the link.

Tue Feb 13, 2018 2:44 pm

Here's my Johnny Lightning Air-cooled Volkswagen Collection

But the Hard Ones to Find are the WHITE LIGHTNING Series which has the White Wheels and some have White Chassis Base and Interior.

Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:19 pm

Here's some Air-cooled Volkswagen's from the Christmas Series

Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:53 pm

Awesome photos from the man who started this thread.

I have a decent smattering of these cars, but my collecting mainly focuses on older, "pre-barcode" toys.

Here's my "newer stuff" showcase.

Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:27 am

Blue Baron wrote: How about a little history lesson?

The original Johnny Lightning cars were introduced by the Topper toy company in 1969, and the VW "Bug Bomb" was one of the 11 original models. These were the closest competitor to Mattel Hot Wheels, and at their peak, Topper was selling one Johnny Lightning car for every three Hot Wheels. Here are the Toppers from my collection. (I just need gold and I'll have all the colors.) Clockwise from the center: green, orange, lime, magenta, blue, red and purple.

Topper closed down in 1971, and it wasn't for another 23 years that Johnny Lightning reappeared in 2003, owned by Playing Mantis. Today, Johnny Lightning is owned by Round 2 Models, which also owns the Auto World and Racing Champions brands of diecast cars.

Website: http://round2corp.com/product-category/johnny-lightning/

I still have a couple of these (purple and magenta). The problem with these particular cars is that they couldn't be used on the Johnny Lightning oval track - the one where you had to shoot them up the hill with a lever attached to a hook in the track that caught a hole in the bottom of the car.

The engines and pipes would get caught on the clear plastic guard at the top, and not go around the track. So we removed them.

My brotherr and I played with is thing for hours upon hours. The sound of it drove my Mom nuts.

Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:02 am

Good for you and your brother, and great to see you still have the track.

Another thing that drove parents crazy was "snow" on the TV screen when we ran our slot cars.

Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:49 pm

I have more Hot Wheels than Johnny Lightning. just started buying a lot of custom made bugs and some are made from 2 or more brands of cars. blue baron love the bug bombs!

Sun Feb 25, 2018 5:31 pm

Picked this up at the Big Three Parts Exchange last weekend.

Mon Feb 26, 2018 12:58 am

Nice single cab!

I see they're still playing that "limited edition" programmed collectibles game. It's a gimmick to make you think you're getting something special, then they just change the color for the next production run.

Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:07 am

I have 8 1:18 Johnny Lightnings

1. normal Herbie

2. normal Herbie White Lightning (with white tires)

3. Junkyard Herbie

4. Junkyard Herbie White Lightning (with white tires)

5. Herbie goes Bananas

6. normal red Beetle

7. Hells Angels

8. Grateful Dead

Then I have the "Seabreeze Point"-Diorama with the Herbie without Herbie-Decals.

And I have several Christmas Ornaments and other Beetles in 1:64 scale.

Does anyone know if there are more than these 8 beetles in 1:18 scale?

:bug_blue:

Mon Mar 19, 2018 3:29 pm

Nice Seabreeze Point diorama. Most have Herbie with his numbers and stripes. When Playing Mantis learned of the mistake, they corrected it for the final run.

Mon Mar 19, 2018 4:01 pm

A user of my Beetle Models forum told me that Herbie actually did not have the typical Herbie decals in the movie scene. But I could not remember the scene. :-S

Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:29 pm

Hi KaeferModelle,

Just curious about why all the photos that you post have the Copyright C emblem and the www.KaeferModelle.de . . .

. . . most of the time that distracts from looking at a really nice photo that you post :?:

. . and besides, have all those photos really gone through the Copyright Preparation, Copyright Registration,
and received an official Registration Certificate :?:

Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:22 pm

KaeferModelle wrote: A user of my Beetle Models forum told me that Herbie actually did not have the typical Herbie decals in the movie scene.
That is correct.