Johnny Lightning collectors interested in getting their hands on Release 18 of their Forever64 line should head over to TomsDiecastCars.com to take advantage of their new pre-order deal. For a limited time get a factory sealed case of (12) JL Forever64 Release 18 cars for just $37.95 with FREE shipping in the USA. Canadian Collectors can take advantage of the pre-order offer as well with cases shipping to Canada for $52.95 USD!

Click here to jump over to TomsDiecastCars.com to take advantage of this special offer.

Here’s a look at some of the latest Johnny Lightning products that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page, and we’ll update the list to your credit

Forever 64 – Release 13: This release includes the ’69 Dodge Charger R/T, the ’70 Plymouth Superbird, the ’72 Chevy Vega – Bruce Larson, the ’69 Chevy Impala SS Convertible, the ’92 GMC Typhoon, the ’68 Shelby GT500, the ’55 Chrysler 300, the ’77 Dodge Monaco, the ’81 Chevy Malibu – Beat the Heat, the Sprint Car – DiecastSpace, the ’77 Dodge Monaco – Demo Derby and the ’65 Chevy Chevelle SS.

JL 2.0 – Release 5: This release includes the ’87 Ford Mustang – Beat the Heat, the ’72 Vega Wagon – Warren Johnson, the ’87 Buick Grand National – Black w/Flames and the ’09 Dodge Challenger R/T – Mopar Drift car

Muscle Cars 1:24 Scale – Release 51: This release includes the ’68 Pontiac GTO and the ’49 Buick Roadmaster. – Release 52: This release contains the ’71 Plymouth Duster and the ’68 Chevy Nova.

* – Please note that this list was compiled based on information gathered by collectors fromonline research and personal finds at retail locations. The ability to find select pieces will vary based on geographic location and the frequency that your local retailer refreshes their stock.

The "In the Stores" column is brought to you courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club

-Pictures courtesy of JohnnyLightning.com and others.

Last week Tomy Co., the Japanese maker of Transformers and Pokemon toys announced that they will be purchasing RC2 Corp for $640 million. News sources have been focusing on Tomy’s interest in RC2’s Thomas the Train brand as the primary reason for the acquisition. However, here in the diecast car collecting world, fans of RC2’s Johnny Lightning brand are anxiously waiting for some type of news regarding the future and/or fate of the cars they love.

Tomy has been involved with diecast cars for a long time via their Tomica brand that, for the most part, caters towards kids through lower end cars and playsets. Tomy recently announced availability of Tomica products in the US as well. It should be interesting to see how the merger affects both Tomica and Johnny Lightning, if at all. There might not be any change at all if Tomy decides to keep the brands separate and lets them run as they are. Alternatively, collectors could start seeing higher end Tomica lines and Johnny Lightning playsets if the two are blended together.

Of course, this is all speculation – so I reached out to Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager at Johnny Lightning to see if he could shed any light on situation. Seeing how the ink is barely dry on the contracts, Tom was not able to comment much other than to say “its business as usual and we hope to grow all our current brands.”

In the meantime, collectors should get out there and continue to support Johnny Lightning buy continuing to purchase and build your collections. I’ll be sure to share any updates as they become available.

Additional details about the acquisition itself can be found on Bloomberg Businessweek.

Johnny Lightning and Diecastspace have announced a first ever Super Convention chase
contest that will happen at the 2011 Super Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada next week. During the convention, 50 Johnny Lightning cars will be randomly handed out and on Saturday, February 26, one lucky winner will be awarded a prize pack valued at $1000!

Each of the 50 Johnny Lightning cars are Tim Flock’s Fabulous Hudson Hornet and includes a QR-code on the bottom of each box. Each entrant can bring their car to the convention hall to have the QR Code on the car’s packaging scanned by the Diecastspace Girls to see if it’s a winner. The cars can also be scanned by convention goers if they have a QR Reader application on their phones.

The lucky winner will win the $1000 prize pack that includes a preproduction sample of the Tim Flock Fabulous Hudson Hornet, authentic Johnny Lightning artwork, JL gear, White Lightning’s and a variety of Johnny Lightning releases. The winner must be present with the winning car to be awarded the prize.

This contest is just one of the many great events happening at the 2011 Super Convention. Be sure to visit ToyCarConventions.com for more information on tickets and accommodations. This is certainly turning out to be a “must-attend” convention with over 1000 collectors set to descend on sin-city next week!

An assortment of current Johnny Lightning product happened to land on the DiecastAudio doorstep, so I thought it might be a good opportunity to try out my new lighting setup and see how they come out. Let me know what you think of them via the comments section below!

The shipments consisted of the 1977 Ford Van and 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 from JL 2.0 Release 4, the 1964 Dodge 330 Superstock and 1970 Chevy Camaro Funny Car from JL 2.0 Release 3 and the all new 1979 International Scout II casting from JL Release 10.

Features that caught me eye this time around include the cool flip up body on the Camaro Funny car, the reverse opening hood on the Scout and the great “Dirty Donny” graphics of the Ford Van. Each of these great pieces are available now from your favorite brick and mortar or online retailer.

Click any image to see the larger version!

Johnny Lightning collectors will love this sneak peak of the upcoming Sprint Car casting that will be hitting retail in 2011 as part of the Forever 64 line.

Click the image to see a larger version of this early e-sheet. Upon close inspection you’ll see a cool nod to DiecastSpace adorning the top wing courtesy of JL Senior Design Manager, Tom Zahorsky. Cool!!

Just on the heels of the Johnny Lightning/Custom Crew collaboration comes another great team-up in the form of JL and Fireball Tim! The result is this custom 1976 Chevy Corvette known as “The Bad Mood.”

Collectors will begin finding this piece on the pegs at Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R Us and hobby shop locations across the country in just a few weeks. Until then, enjoy this sneak peek photo. Click the image to see the larger version.

[via fireballtim.com]

This past week Johnny Lightning shared this shot of castings from Release 9 of their Forever64 line. Any guesses on the make and model of the surprise car show on the middle right? A Javelin maybe?!

Collectors should look for Release 9 in Wal-Mart and Toys ‘R Us locations very soon.

Johnny Lightning’s new Dodge Monaco casting will soon begin appearing at retail locations in the from of the long awaited “Rosco’s Patrol Car.”

The piece features a diecast body and chassis, a detailed 440 V8 beneath an opening hood, a new lightbar and new police wheels. Collectors should look out for White Lightning that will feature white tires and white rims when it comes out as part of JL 2.0 Release 2.

A pre-production sample is shown here. 

Here’s a look at some of the latest Johnny Lightning products that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit!

Forever 64 Release 7: ’66 Dodge Charger, ’69 Dodge Charger R/T spoiler, ’71 Motion Chevy Camaro, ’68 Jeep CJ5’, ’59 Chevy Impala convertible, ’70 Dodge Super Bee, ’65 Mustang, ’69 Chevy Camaro SS 396, ’50 Chevy Panel Delivery, ’50 Olds 88, ’37 Cord 812 SC Convertible, ’84 Pontiac Firebird.

* – Please note that this list was compiled based on information gathered by collectors from online research and personal finds at retail locations. The ability to find select pieces will vary based on geographic location and the frequency that your local retailer refreshes their stock.

The "In the Stores" column is brought to you courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club

Here’s a look at some of the latest Johnny Lightning products that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit!

Forever 64 – Release 6:  ’67 Pontiac Firebird; a ’70 Dodge Challenger R/T; a ’67 Chevy Camaro SS; a ’71 Chevy Camaro ‘Beat the Heat’; a ’70 Plymouth Superbird; a ’65 Mustang Fastback custom; a ’65 Mustang Fastback; a ’10 Dodge Viper ACR; a ’49 Buick Custom in red or blue; a ’37 Cord 812 SC convertible; a ’51 Hudson Hornet; a ’75 Chevy Corvette.

Johnny Lightning has also announced a Hobby line coming in 2010 called “JL 2.0”. These cars are believed to be for Hobby exclusive distribution. A 1/64th scale car with metal bodies and chassis, rubber wheels, and exclusive color and design.

JL 2.0 – Release ‘A’: ’08 Dodge Challenger – Black w/flames; a ’80 Chevy Monza – spoiler; a ’80 Chevy Impala – project car; and a ’65 Pontiac GTO – racing legends “Arnie Bestwick”.

1:24 Scale Muscle Cars: The 1964 Impala SS was a car that brought luxury and affordability together. Now Johnny Lightning is reproducing that car with all the attention to detail and lavish styling of the original. From the windshield wipers down to the gearshift—but no seatbelts, which were optional at the time—this 1:24 casting perfectly replicates the most minute aspects of the Impala. The second is a replica of Arnie Bestwick’s Pontiac GTO stockcar. You can also get this replica in the JL 2.0 line this month.

* – Please note that this list was compiled based on information gathered by collectors from online research and personal finds at retail locations. The ability to find select pieces will vary based on geographic location and the frequency that your local retailer refreshes their stock.

The "In the Stores" column is brought to you courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club

Editor’s Note – Stay tuned for an up-close pictorial of the Forever 64 Release! -Jeff

Here’s a look at some of the latest Johnny Lightning products that will be appearing in stores and online.* Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit!

Forever 64 – Release ‘5’ includes: a ’71 Chevy Camaro Z-28; a ’71 Chevy Vega (project); a ’59 Chevy Impala (Big Lou graphics); a ’08 Dodge Viper SRT-10; a ’69 Chevy Camaro RS/SS 396; a ’87 Chevy Monte Carlo SS; a ’50 Chevy Panel Truck; a ’92 GMC Typhoon; a ’68 Shelby GT500; a ’69 AMC AMX; a ’03 Ford Focus (race); a ’75 Chevy Corvette.

Johnny Lightning has also announced a Hobby line coming in 2010 called “JL 2.0”. These cars are believed to be for Hobby exclusive distribution. A 1/64th scale car with metal bodies and chassis, rubber wheels, and exclusive color and design. This will be their answer to what they feel collectors are looking for. Watch for these coming soon.

The 1964 Impala SS was a car that brought luxury and affordability together. Now Johnny Lightning is reproducing that car with all the attention to detail and lavish styling of the original. From the windshield wipers down to the gearshift—but no seatbelts, which were optional at the time—this 1:24 casting perfectly replicates the most minute aspects of the Impala.

* – Please note that this list was compiled based on information gathered by collectors from online research and personal finds at retail locations. The ability to find select pieces will vary based on geographic location and the frequency that your local retailer refreshes their stock.

The "In the Stores" column is brought to you courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club

Fresh off the heals of the partnership between Johnny Lightning and The Custom Crew comes the news of a new deal between JL and The Toy Peddler. Paul Biddle, owner of the Toy Peddler has been working on a 1:1 scale 1970 Challenger which is scheduled to be revealed in “person” at the Los Angeles Hot Wheels convention this fall. Pictures of the restoration progress have been released over the course of the last year or so and its definitely nearly completion as you can tell from the shot below.

Collectors will be able to get their hands on the Johnny Lightning version of the car as part of a 10,000 piece run that will be included in this year’s mainline. As you can see from the e-sheet, the 1:64 scale version of Paul’s Challenger will even feature the Toy Peddler’s web address on the windshield.

Click any image to see the larger version

This piece will be distributed to Walmart, Toys ‘R Us and possibly Target starting in the July 2010 timeframe. Stay tuned for pics of the pre-production samples as they become available.

A few weeks ago I posted about The Custom Crew’s Luis Tanahara and his design collaboration with Johnny Lightning. At the end of that article I hinted that we might be seeing additional collaborations between the two, and now is time to start sharing!

Click any image to see them up close!

As you can see, this is lining up to be a collaboration of epic proportions! Not only has Tom Zahorsky of Johnny Lightning designed a completely rad ride for the pairing, but we get a sweet look at the all new flatbed version of the Sledster! Details about quantities, pricing, packaging and how these pieces will be sold are still not available, but the wait will be short as you can expect these to be available sometime in April.

Stay tuned for a closer look at the new Sledster Flatbed and its “hidden” surprises!

Diecast designer and artist, Luis Tanahara has worked in many places over the course of his career. His designs can be found on a variety of Hot Wheels and he virtually built Jada Toy’s diecast line from the ground up. Of course, these days he’s the creative force behind The Sledster and The Custom Crew brand.

While The Custom Crew is his main focus, he still finds time to work on special projects – the most recent of which is a cool team-up with Johnny Lightning. The result is this sweet looking 1959 Chevy Impala that will be part of the Black with Flames series.

(Pictures courtesy of JohnnyLightning.com)

Long time Jada collectors will notice that the familiar black with green flames design pays homage to two different pieces Lou did a few years ago. Johnny Lightning’s “Black with Flames” series has always been popular, but I have a feeling this piece in particular will be in extra high demand.

The word on the street is that is won’t be the only collaborative effort between JL and Tanahara. Stay tuned for more!

The Lincoln Johnny Lightning Race Club recently announced the availability of their 2010 custom club car. The club selected Johnny Lightning Ford, Chevy and Dodge (shown) van castings as the base for this year’s run.

A total of 15 were customized for the run by M & S Customs who have also done a number of cars for the Rhode Island Hot Wheels Summer Smash conventions. Each car is being sold for $20 to non-club members and $15 to club members.

Contact the club through their official website for more information.

Johnny Lightning has teamed with Papa John’s pizza to offer this exclusive limited edition 1971 Chevy Camaro Z-28 replica of the car “Papa” John Schnatter sold to save his father’s tavern and start Papa John’s pizza twenty-five years ago.

The cars are being sold on the Papa John’s website for $4.99 each and come with a coupon for a free medium cheese pizza.

[via papajohns.com]

Johnny Lightning’s 40th Anniversary celebrations continue with a unique team-up between the die-cast brand and Victory Designs. The result elevates Johnny Lightning beyond the realm of die-cast cars into full-scale guitars!

A total of 100 guitars have been produced and each comes with an exclusive Johnny Lightning car. What about White Lightnings you ask? A total of 5 White Lightning versions of the car have also been created and will be randomly shipped with each guitar purchased. If that weren’t enough, there is also a one of one special edition White Lightning Epiphone Special-II guitar will be randomly shipped to one lucky collector!

Each guitar/car package is being sold for $499.00. Be sure to visit http://www.johnnylightningguitar.com/ for more details and ordering information.

[via johnnylightningguitar.com]

Here’s a look at some of the latest Johnny Lightning products that will be appearing in stores and online during the end of October and through-out November. *-Found anything that isn’t on the list? Please submit it via the contact page and we’ll update the list to your credit!

40th. Anniversary

Release ‘G’:

• - ’50 Oldsmobile
• - 50’s Chevy School Bus
• - ’65 Impala spoiler
• - ’65 Mustang fastback
• - ’68 Shelby Mustang
• - ’70 Challenger T/A
• - ’69 Camaro;
• - ’70 Dodge Charger
• - ’76 Corvette
• - 2 Dodge Vipers
• - ’67 Pontiac Firebird

In addition, it seems that Johnny Lightning has a big hit on their hands with this lower priced blister card releases. *40th Anniversary will end with the “H” cases and the 2010 “Forever 64” will start with the “I” cases.

* – Please note that this list was compiled based on information gathered by collectors from online research and personal finds at retail locations. The ability to find select pieces will vary based on geographic location and the frequency that your local retailer refreshes their stock.

The "In the Stores" column is brought to you courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Diecast Club.

Another package arrived in the mail from Johnny Lightning, so I just had to flip on the camera again and share in the fun of revealing the contents! A short video slideshow with detailed pictures follows the unboxing portion, so be sure to watch it until the end!

Correction: I mentioned that the Superbird does not have an opening hood and it in fact does – the fit on it was so perfectly flush that it appeared to be a solid piece!

Special thanks to Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager at Johnny Lightning for the continued support and sending these great cars to share!

[via johnnylightning.com]

As I mentioned previously, Lightning Fest 2009 is shaping up to bigger and better than ever, and the official announcement that John Schneider will be making a celebrity guest appearance at this year’s fest is the proof in the pudding. Here’s the official word from Johnny Lightning:

“John Schneider, the star of TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard, Nip/Tuck and Smallville will be a special guest at Lightning Fest 2009 and will help to light up the eastern Iowa skies once again for two days straight come August 7th and 8th. JL fans and fanatics from far and wide will converge at the intersections of Highways 136 & 20 for Lightning Fest 2009. For more information, visit www.collector.johnnylightning.com“.

- JL Design Team

Now that’s some exciting news!

[via http://www.collector.johnnylightning.com]

Johnny Lightning collectors should mark their calendars, as the dates for this year’s Lightning Fest have been announced! Here is the word from Tom Zahorsky on the official Johnny Lightning site:

“The new dates for Lightning Fest 2009 are August 7-8 in Dyersville, IA. Mark your calendars because you will not want to miss it! We are planning more events this year and will have a few exclusive cars that will only be available at the show. We also have a couple guest appearances planned that will be announced in the coming months!”

The word on the street is that this year’s Fest is shaping up to be bigger and better than years past with great events like:

• - Exclusive diecast cars
• - 1:1 car show
• - Charity auction
• - Vendor tables
• - Johnny Lightning dinner

Tom’s mention of appearances by celebrity guests is definitely exciting news! As always, I’ll let you know as soon as additional details become available. Stay tuned!

Tom Zahorsky from Johnny Lightning sent me an envelope in the mail, so I flipped on the camera to share in the experience of seeing what treasures were contained within!

These 40th Anniversary cars are part of Assortment 1 which contains the following castings:

1969 Chevy Camaro SS- Black with Flames
1969 Dodge Charger R/T- Hemi Orange with black vinyl top
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T- Spoilers #1 Satin Silver with Green stripes
1950 Olds- Metallic Blue with Black top
1965 Ford Mustang- Big Flake Metallic Blue
1970 Dodge Super Bee- Two-tone Red and Silver
1970 Plymouth Superbird- Spoilers #2 Passion Purple Metallic with White stripes
1970 Chevy Chevelle SS- Gloss Black with Matte Black stripes
1969 AMC AMX- Black with Flames and ghost stripes
1968 Shelby GT500- Weekend Racer Yellow

Be sure to check them out at your favorite brick & mortar or online die-cast retailer!

[via johnnylightning.com]

Being the first year for the Super Convention, the majority of convention cars offered were Code 3′s created by various customizers. Limited runs and great quality will keep these selection in the “highly sought-after” category.

The two Johnny Lightning pieces at the beginning of the set were part of the general admission ticket. The black Shelby was the standard offering while the red Mustang was the chase piece. Please note that this set does not contain pictures of every car offered. I will add additional pictures as I go through the cars I was able to bring home.

I also include several shots of the many Jimmy “The Boxman” Chavez pieces that were available at the Diehard-Diecast booth. Enjoy!

Special thanks to my sponsor, DiecastSpace.com for making my trip to the convention possible!

Do you collect Johnny Lightning? Are you interested in getting “behind the scenes” views and sneak peeks of the JL die-cast brand? If so, then you definitely need to check out each and every issue of Johnny Lightning’s online newsletter called “The Bolt.”

The Bolt was launched in November of 2006 and continues to bring collectors new issues each and every month. Access to this great resource is just one of the benefits reserved exclusively for Johnny Lightning Club members. Membership to the club is FREE and signing up for the club only takes a few seconds.

This month’s issue features a variety of articles including a preview of the upcoming 1:24 scale ’70 Chevelle SS and 1:64 scale 1992 GMC Typhoon castings. You’ll have to register for the club to read all the juicy details, but here’s a few pictures of the Chevelle to get your motor revving!

[via johnnylightning.com]

This holiday season the postman delivered a few “diecast surprises” in the mail for me, and now that I’ve managed to get some of the pictures off the camera and somewhat organized I thought I’d share them across a few posts this week. First up is a piece that was completely unexpected, and I was absolutely blown away when I opened the package. I’m sure all the Johnny Lightning collectors out there would agree that RAOKs don’t get much better than this!

One of my favorite details on this piece is the frost line left on the windshield by the wipers – too cool!

A very special thanks to Johnny Lightning Senior Design Manager, Tom Zahorsky. If you have yet to hear my interview with Tom on Saturday Nitro, then be sure to give it a listen!

This year’s Limited Edition Johnny Lightning Holiday Collection finishes up with a “batty” 1986 Pontiac Firebird. Bats adorn both the hood and packaging of this Halloween themed Firebird. The complete Holiday Collection for 2008 includes:

• 1975 Volkswagon Beetle Cabriolet (Valentine’s Day)
• 1950 Chevy Suburban Custom (St. Patrick’s Day)
• 1966 Volkswagon Beetle (Father’s Day)
• 1969 Chevy Camaro (Fourth of July)
• 1896 Pontiac Firebird (Halloween)

Here’s a closer look at this “spook-tacular” car and packaging!

Click the images to see them up close

Happy Halloween from diecastAUDIO and Johnny Lightning!

There’s a storm brewing with guaranteed lightning and it will be striking the RC2 Outlet Store in Dyersville, Iowa on September 12th and 13th 2008. That right folks, Lightning Fest is back!

Along with the new location, is a great line-up of all new activities for collectors to take part in. The new activities include:

• - The Johnny Lightning car show
• - Buy, Sell and Trade at the exhibitor show
• - Special sales the RC2 Outlet Store
• - The RC2 Johnny Lightning showroom featuring new product offerings and themes on display
• - Preview of the new 2009 product line-up and the new 40th Anniversary program
• - Meet and Greet with Tom Zahorsky and the JL team
• - Previews of other RC2 lines (ERTL, John Deere, The First Years and Learning Curve)
• - The JL stunt exhibit featuring the JLX radio-controlled car
• - Daily raffles for JL product, T-shirts and a few extremely rare collectibles
• - Great music, food and fun at Dyersville’s Downtown Friday Night
      featuring live music by The Easy Street Band from 6-9 p.m. (weather permitting)

Of course, no Lightning Fest would be complete without an official limited edition car to take home. This year’s Lightning Fest car is a brilliant red 2000 Dodge Viper GTS, complete with Lightning Fest logos! The piece features a black interior, black rims with chrome trim rings, and includes a certificate of authenticity that the car is 1 of just 200.

Best of all, admission to the entire show is FREE! Be sure to visit www.johnnylightning.com for more info and the latest details. To register a car for the car show or reserve a table in the exhibition hall, please email clreiter@rc2corp.com

[via johnnylightning.com]

Run out to your favorite Johnny Lightning retailer between now and August 31st, 2008 to purchase any 5 1:64 scale Johnny Lightning cars and you can earn a Limited Edition 1:64 scale 1968 Shelby GT500 Lightning Rod decked out in a beautiful Cherry Chrome finish! Be sure to visit the official Johnny Lightning collectors site for all the specifics!

[via johnnylightning.com]

Volkswagon fans rejoice! More VW goodness is coming from Johnny Lightning in the form of this classic Super Beetle convertible that will appear in VW Release 9. Johnny Lightning Senior Design Manager, Tom Zahorsky had this to say about the release:

Be sure to keep an eye open for Release 9 to hit your favorite retailer in the upcoming months.

[via johnnylightning.com blog]

In Part 2 of our Up Close segment with Johnny Lightning’s new Area-51 Release we’ll be taking a look at the ’77 Ford Van and the ’66 Jeep CJ-5. Be sure to check out Part 1 of this Up Close segment to see the other two castings in this release.

First up is the ’77 Ford Van. In Part 1 I had mentioned that Johnny Lightning had done a good job with applying the Area-51 theme to the castings without going too overboard with the “alien” concept. If there’s a piece in the set that stands out as not quite fitting in, it would be the ’77 Ford Van. It’s metal flake silver paint paint and large UFO and alien tampos set it apart from the other castings.

I can imagine that it joins the set as the vehicle driven by “true-believers” in search of proof that aliens really do exist – however, perhaps designing the van as an extra-terrestrial transport vehicle that would assist in recovering UFOs might have matched the others in the set a little better. I definitely invite Mr. Zahorsky to comment on the steps that went into the final design decision as I think collectors would enjoy learning about the process.

The last addition to the Area-51 Release is the 1966 Jeep CJ-5. The design returns to the Area-51 security theme with this military-style Jeep. It’s mild camouflage paint scheme and military police tampos compliment the casting nicely. Top it off with real rubber tires, an opening hood and collapsable windshield and you have an excellent piece rounding out this first release.

Don’t forget you can click the thumbnails to see the full images. If you like what you see, then be sure to check out your favorite online retailer as Johnny Lightning Area-51 Release 1 is available now.

Special thanks to Johnny Lightning Senior Design Manager Tom Zahorsky for providing the cars for this week’s segment!

It time for another Up Close segment with Johnny Lightning and you might say its “out of this world!” JL’s new Area-51 Release 1 brings a mixture of interesting castings that are very suitable for the overall theme. As an added bonus, each car comes with an Area-51 themed sticker. The release comes together as follows:

• ’50 Chevy Pickup
• ’77 Ford Van
• ’66 Jeep CJ-5
• ’67 Ford Fairlane Patrol Car

Each casting fits the theme nicely without going too overboard with the “alien” concept. The only orange in this bowl of apples might be the ’77 Van, but you’ll have to wait until Part 2 to see why. In this post, I’ll be featuring the ’50 Chevy Pickup and the ’67 Ford Fairlane Patrol Car.

First up is the ’50 Chevy Pickup. Next to the Jeep, this is one of my favorites of the release. It features real rubber tires, high gloss black paint and displays the DARPA logo on each door. Both the hood and tail gate can be opened and closed. One element that really makes the piece stand out is the addition of the “wood” look in the pickup bed.

Next up is the ’67 Ford Fairlane. This piece also features real rubber tires and high gloss paint (both black and white). While the trunk, hood and doors are not movable, the tampo detail is what really makes this one stand out. The mud splatter detailing raises the piece to a higher level and keeps it from being a repackaged patrol car. The only thing that might make this piece even cooler would be adding a little dirt effect to the tires. Johnny Lightning did something similar to the Italian Job Mini Cooper a few years back, and seeing it here would have been a nice touch. Overall, its a very nice addition to the release.

Don’t forget you can click the thumbnails to see the full images. So far so good, eh? What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.

Special thanks to Johnny Lightning Senior Design Manager Tom Zahorsky for providing the cars for this week’s segment!

Check out Up Close with JL Area 51, Part 2 –>

Yesterday the focus was on a Dodge from Maisto. Today, we turn the focus to Johnny Lightning’s 1970 Dodge Superbee which will be part of Musclecars R17. I’ve always been a fan of the Superbee with its true muscle car profile and unique front-end. JL Senior Design Manager Tom Zahorsky shared these details about the bee over on the Johnny Lightning blog:

“This release features three wheel variations, a newly tooled hood, 2-tone interior and an extra set of 5-spoke rims with Uniroyal tires.”

If this piece is any indication of the quality of the entire release, we certainly in for a real treat! Keep your eyes peeled for the Superbee and the rest of Musclecars R17 landing in stores later this month.

Don’t forget to click the thumbnail to see the full image and stay tuned for a special Johnny Lightning feature next week!

[via johnnylightning.com]

Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager for Johnny Lightning revealed this great looking VW Bus that will be included in VW Release 8. Here’s what Tom had to say on the Johnny Lightning blog:

Most of you are just getting your hands on VW R7, which was one of the last assortments Mac worked on. Nice job, Mac! Now, I am focused on R8, which has a couple releases that I have already put on my all time favorite list, and I believe you will too. Check out this delivery from release 8. It features silver metallic paint, white top, white bumpers and a graphic that is sure to have you seeing double.

[via johnnylightning.com]

In this fourth and final installment of “Up Close” for 2007 we take a look at the Johnny Lightning 1968 Hurst/Olds Cutlass from Muslecars Release 15. Tom and the folks at JL have always done a great job of selecting a mixture of popular “mainstream” muscle car casts, but also keep things fresh and interesting for collectors by including vehicles that didn’t necessarily reach the popularity of the Camaros, Mustangs and Chevelles. The cast being featured today seems to fall somewhere between mainstream popularity and sleeper muscle.

Spectacular paint, great detail, real rubber tires and an opening hood are all part of what makes this Hurst/Olds Cutlass a winner. If you’re not a Johnny Lighting collector, you owe it to yourself to pick one up and bust it out of the package. Every piece takes on a whole new life when set free and magnifies the excellent work that goes into each one. CHeck out these shots of the Cutlass and let us know what you think. Click on any thumbnail for the full image.

The castings in Musclecars Release 15 include:

1968 Hurst/Olds Cutlass (shown)
1968 Shelby GT500
1987 Buick Regal
2005 Ford GT

Thanks again to Johnny Lightning Senior Design Manager Tom Zahorsky for supplying the cars for the recent “Up Close” series. If you are a diecast manufacturer or even a diecast customizer and would like your piece(s) highlighted here on diecastAUDIO, then feel free to contact me via jeff [at] diecastaudio.com.

[via johnnylightning.com]

Today’s entry in this week’s “Up Close” series of posts features Johnny Lightning’s 1965 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 from the Muscle Cars Gold Series Release 6! While the Catalina isn’t necessarily considered a top pick when it comes to muscle car casts, this piece is certainly a beauty none the less! It features all the great detail you’ve come to expect from the Gold Series line including real rubber tires, an opening hood and gloriously detailed paint and accents. Top it off with a hard plastic display case and cool re-sealable clam shell packaging and you have one of the best values in main stream 1/64th scale diecast! Click on any of the thumbnails for the full size image.

The entire Limited Edition Muscle Cars Gold Series Release 6 contains the following castings:

• 1966 Ford Mustang GT
• 1965 Pontiac Catalina 2+2
• 1962 Chevy Bel Air
• 1971 Plymouth HEMI Cuda

Just like the other “Up Close” Johnny Lightning release features we’ve covered this week, you should be able to find these now in your favorite retailers across the country. Thanks again to Tom Zahorsky for providing the cars for this series of posts!

[via johnnylightning.com]

The second “Up Close” with Johnny Lightning for the week features the 1969 Dodge Dart from the Coca Cola rides Release 5. This piece is dressed with gloss blue paint with a flat black roof and a festive snow flake theme, complete with snowman on each door (Frosty, is that you..?!). Other details include an opening hood, flat black engine, black interior, and standard plastic tires. Each car in the series comes with an exclusive “Gripclip” which transforms the car into a hang-able decoration. Click on any thumbnail to view the full size image.

The entire release includes the following castings:

• 1957 Chevy Bel Air
• 1965 Chevy Impala
• 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra
• 1969 Dodge Dart
• 1970 Ford Maverick
• 1970 Plymouth GTX

This release should be in stores now just in time for the holidays. Be sure to grab all 6 and decorate that tree! Special thanks to Tom Zahorsky at Johnny Lightning for providing the cars for this week’s “Up Close” series of posts!

[via johnnylightning.com]

Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager for Johnny Lightning was kind enough to send out a package to the diecastAUDIO studio, so we’re sharing the contents with a few posts spread out through this final week before the Christmas holiday kicks into full gear. First up is this great 1964 Ford Falcon Panel Delivery from Wicked Wagons Release 2! This piece features rubber tires, highly detailed paint and an opening hood. Click on the thumbnails for the full sized photos.

The complete release consists of the following casts:

• 1966 Cadillac Hearse
• 1964 Ford Falcon Panel Delivery
• 1965 Chevy Chevelle Wagon
• 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery

Be sure to check your local retailer, as this release is in stores now!

[via johnnylightning.com]

Marty from DIECASTLIVE.COM sent over this great tip which has to be labeled as the “Deal of the Week.” Every once in a while the brick and mortar toy chain KBToys stocks some great diecast at low closeout prices. This time around, the deal can be found in their online store.

While supplies last, you can snag this great 4-car Hot Rod Magazine set from Johnny Lightning for just $5.99 (plus shipping and handling). Thats a savings of 70% off the suggested retail price of $19.99! The set includes Troy Trepanier’s customized AMC Rambler, Thom Taylor’s exquisite Bad Bird roadster, a classic ’57 Chevy Bel Air and a too-wild ’63 Chevy II.

Use the link below to make the jump while this offer is still good!

[via kbtoys.com]

In case you missed its sale debut back on November 7th, the Jiffy Lube VW Bus from Johnny Lightning and Liberty Promotions is still available! Here’s all you need to know about this piece direct from the Liberty Promotions web site:

Produced by Johnny Lightning for Liberty Promotions, this VW Panel Bus has some really cool deco! Check out the spark plugs firing and the pistons pushing flames out of the cylinders and onto the bus, while the golden motor oil from Jiffy Lube splashes about and keeps things lubricated down low.

All of this is laid on top of super glossy black paint that even makes its way down to the bumpers and wheels. Rubber tires add the finishing touch of detail.

These come in a standard size blister-pack featuring hand-drawn artwork of the bus at a Jiffy Lube store. The rare White Lightning version sports white tires and a white interior, while the regular issue has black tires and a red interior.

You have a 1 in 10 chance of receiving a White Lightning. However, every order of 12 or more busses is guaranteed to include 1 White Lighting (24+ includes 2 White Lightnings, 36 includes 3).

Each bus has its serial number imprinted on the underside of its chassis. (“XXXX of 2,496″)

Don’t let this one miss being a part of your collection. Its a steal at $11.99 each and will add to your rank as a member in the Liberty Legions club. Head over to WWW.LIBERTYPROMOTIONS.COM now to take advantage of the sale.

[via libertypromotions.com]

The title of this post might lead you to believe that I’m speaking of a “White Lightning,” but in this case its all about the new upcoming release from Johnny Lightning called “Lightning Rods!” Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager for JL had the following to say on their official blog:

“Check out one of the cars in Lightning Rods Release 1, the 1970 Dodge Challenger. This Lightning Rod is covered in glowing yellow chrome and has matching yellow chrome rims and clear injected tires. All of the cars in this assortment carry the trademark lightning bolt but this is the only Zinger in the assortment. Look for these to hit stores in late December.”

If these really do hit retailers in late December, what collector wouldn’t like to find one of those in your stocking?!

[via the johnny lightning blog]

Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager for Johnny Lightning gave collectors a glimpse at one of the cars being included in the upcoming release of the Dukes of Hazzard series. The featured car is Molly Hargrove’s #72 Plymouth race car. The car appeared in a memorable episode in season three called “Birds Gotta Fly.” In the episode, Daisy was offered a job working for retired driver Molly Hargrove on the NASCAR circuit.

Keep your eyes peeled for Dukes of Hazzard Release 3 when it hits stores November 1st.

[via johnnylightning.com]

Check out this vintage commercial for the Johnny Express from Topper. Man, that thing is huge!! Now thats when toys were really TOYS!

Be sure to check out all the other diecast related videos over at WWW.DIECASTVIDEO.COM.

[via www.diecastvideo.com]

Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager for Johnny Lightning gives collectors a look into the upcoming 60′s Sizzle Release 6 by showing off this gorgeous ’65 For Mustang Convertible. If the rest in this release are as equally stunning, then we are all in for a treat! Keep your eye out for 60′s Sizzle R6 hitting your favorite retailer in mid September.

Tom Zahorsky, Senior Design Manager for the Johnny Lightning brand just posted this very nice picture of the 1975 Corvette prototype. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“The 1975 Corvette was still amazingly popular with Chevy selling 33,836 coupes and 4,629 convertibles during the ’75 model year even though the base 350 only made 165 horsepower and the L82 making 205 horsepower. We believe this 2008 release will become a collector favorite for sure. Our JL model will feature two wheel options and an option for a rear deck mounted luggage rack. Look for this coupe to debut in Classic Gold 44.”

[via the johnnylightning.com blog]

The folks over at Johnny Lightning have posted their own gallery of images from Lightningfest 2007. The set contains a nice range of shots covering their booth which included prototypes, sculpts, limited edition cars and plenty of merchandise from their other various toy lines. Use the link below to launch their gallery page in a new window – enjoy!

[via johnnylightning.com]

If you’re a frequent visitor of LIGHTNINGLANE.COM then you might have noticed that the site is beginning to shrink. Much of the archived content that collectors counted on for verfiying information about older releases and potential White Lightnings has been removed. Hopefully this isn’t a sign that the entire site will be closing for good, but we’ll keep you posted as new information surfaces. In the meantime, be sure to visit the Lightning Lane forums and show your support with posts that express your fondness for this great source of Johnny Lightning collectible news.

[via lightninglane.com]

Some of the folks who were able to attend Lighningfest 2007 at Wizard World Chicago last weekend not only got to attend a great event, but also walked away with some sweet and rare diecast! Over on HOBBYTALK.COM, collector chriscobbs shared these shots of the pre-production 1965 Chevy Impala Convertible and 1968 Chevrolet Camaro he scored.

He also shared these shots of additional pre-production pieces that were obtained by other Lightningfest attendees:

Guess we now know the contents of that JL Mystery Box that was mentioned earlier! Plenty of additional shots have been added by chriscobb and other collectors in the official thread over on HOBBYTALK.COM. Use the link below to make the jump.

[via hobbytalk.com]

There have been plenty of posts on various boards about the success of the 2007 Johnny Jam and yes, all of them are true! It was a great event thrown by great people, and attended by some really great folks too. As mention previously, diecastAUDIO was in attendance and shot a good amount of footage throughout the day. Its taking me a while to get through it all, but the final montage video should be available for public viewing in a few more weeks.

For now (if you have yet to see it), enjoy this shot of the one-of-a-kind 2007 Johnny Jam WL Zinger courtesy of ECchopper!

As reported a month or so ago, the JL Full Throttle line has been in limbo for a bit and is potentially teetering on the brink of extinction. The JL Full Throttle Team recently updated their MySpace Blog with the following:

“In the midst of a recall on RC2′s biggest and most lucrative line, Thomas the Tank Engine’s wooden railway, the JL Full Throttle Foose Diecast line seems to have been lost. From what we know the team at RC2 has pulled the plug in order to shill more of it’s Johnny Lightning product. The Major retailers are currently resetting their departments for teh fall seling season and we don’t see any listings for the Foose line. Obviously we feel like they have overlooked a big market and fear this could be a permanent end to this very cool new line of cars from everyone’s favorite designer/customizer and fabicator, Mr. Chip Foose. Since we don’t have an email as of yet, feel free to give them a call or write them a letter expressing your displeasure with their decision.

the 1970 Chevy Blazer and more….Unless they hear it from the collectors and fans we won’t see these new rides and the line could be gone before Overhaulin returns…”

Ok collectors – now is your time to get on the horn an save this great line of collectibles and make your voices heard!

[via the JLFT MySpace Blog]