A couple of posts ago I shared a Topper Johnny Lightning Smuggler car that wandered into my collection. Today, I have something related.
Years ago, I was poking around at a flea market and I came across a battered, scratched lunchbox from the times when lunchboxes were all made from metal and carrying one was supposed to show off your individual "coolness" to everyone at school! And what could be cooler than a real Johnny Lightning lunchbox?
The cars that are featured are all actual Johnny Lightning models, by the way, as are the racing helmets. That Mattel brand never had official racing helmets, by golly!
Yes, the handle was long gone by the time the box found me, but no matter, that makes the graphics easier to see!
Formula racing was big with Johnny Lightnings too! More on that later..
And this is their "Fire Leap Set!" I think it's funny how the illustration of the "flames" looks like the cardboard that they actually were.
Remember that Formula car on the top of the box? As it turns out, that was a model of an actual car! Johnny lightning sponsored Al Unser Sr. in the early 1970s! He was very big in F1 racing, so it was a great deal for Topper to land! Here's Al driving the real car!
Johnny Lightning ever made a carrying case that looked like this car, which even as a kid struck me as both really cool and really weird, lol!
I poked around on the ol' interwebs and found that they actually did have a "Parajumper" set!
So there you have it! I didn't pay much at all for the box because of the condition, but I'm glad I got it.
Until next time, keep searching for treasure!
I guess "well loved" is one way to describe it. Man, what did that kid do to it to get it scratched up like that? Looks like it's been getting kicked around in Death Valley for a few decades. Still, I do see where that would add to its charm.
ReplyDeleteI like the image where the car is going through the ring-o-fire. You can tell it's going fast because of all the 'speed lines' painted around, and behind, the car. :-p
At least you don't have to worry about getting the lunchbox scuffed up! Thanks, Stu.
Yeah, if I drop it, I don't really care! That's kind of nice. Still, I might look around for a better one (although I'm sure I couldn't get it for under ten bucks like I did this one!)
DeleteI once had the idea to draw "speed lines" on a piece of poster board and tape it to my back at work. "Look at that go-getter!"
It was too much trouble. Dedication Level= .5...
I can totally understand why people become lunchbox collectors - there are so many fantastic examples, particularly featuring pop culture stuff from my childhood. I could go broke in a hurry! Your Johnny Lightning lunchbox is cool!
ReplyDeleteApparently one of my parents' friends is s lunchbox collector and has them displayed all around the top of his game room. They think he's weird. I think he has retirement figured out ;-)
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