Tuesday, May 4, 2010

History of Johnny Lightning


Topper Toys launched Johnny Lightning in 1969 to join the new craze for "high speed" toy cars. As a calculated reference to the cars' performance on miniature race tracks, Topper printed the slogan "Beats Them All!" on every package. Topper Toys closed in 1971, and Playing Mantis re-introduced the Johnny Lightning brand in 1994. In 2004, RC2 Corp. purchased Playing Mantis and continues to produce Johnny Lightning cars with the same keen eye to quality and authenticity that has been a hallmark since the brand's inception. In 2005, Johnny Lightning greatly expanded its 1:24-scale offerings, while continuing to raise the bar in the 1:64-scale category.

Heavy die-cast bodies and chassis, along with a broad range of themes-from muscle cars and dragsters to trucks and military vehicles-make Johnny Lightning cars favorites among fans of small-scale die-cast. Ultra-rare limited-edition chase cars, known as White Lightning™ vehicles, further enhance collectibility.

For 2008, collectors were given choices that included Classic Gold, Johnny Retro, Classic Plastic, Mopar Mayhem, Muscle Gold, Musclecars, American Chrome, Truckin America, Volkswagen, John Deere, and more.

In 2009, you were cordially invited to help JL celebrate its 40th anniversary by enjoying any or all of our new line of quality affordable cars, as well as those from the much-raved about collector line. Each car features multiple deco operations to accurately replicate the full-scale vehicle.

Even at 40-years-plus, Johnny Lightning continues to electrify the world of die-cast, and inspire new and old collectors to "Beat Them All"!


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