Tag / 1969 Chevy Nova

by marcboz

2007 and 2008 Johnny Lightning Calendar Cars

Building on the popularity of the Lightning Girls, who made their debut in the 2006 American Beauties series, the Johnny Lightning Calendar Cars series “replicated our Lightning Girls’ actual car or dream car.” Each car in the series prominently featured one of the Lightning Girls on each card and was packaged with a miniature stand-up calendar picturing the girl and her car, with a short description of the car on the back. “So get to know our Lightning Girls and why they love the cars they do.”

From the 2007 Calendar Cars series, I have this sharp 1969 Chevy Nova.

Johnny Lightning | 2007 | Calendar Cars | 1969 Chevy Nova #11 | dark blue metallic with calendar card

The 2008 Calendar Cars series included this nice ’65 Chevy Impala.

If you read the back of the stand-up calendar, you will find that Missy was fortunate enough to receive this sweet Impala on her 16th birthday! Well, I should mention that I have a birthday coming up …

Johnny Lightning | 2008 | 53905J | Calendar Cars | 1965 Chevy Impala #5 | gray with black top with Missy card

by marcboz

Johnny Lightning Hot Rod Magazine

For a brief time during Johnny Lightning’s Playing Mantis era, Jeff Koch, formerly of Hot Rod Magazine, worked as the JL brand manager. Probably not coincidentally, it was during these years, from about 2003 to 2005, that the Primedia Magazine series featured cover cars from some of its automotive titles such as Motor Trend, Rod & Custom, Car Craft, Hot Rod Magazine and others.

This Hot Rod Magazine 4-Pack from 2003 features four cars from the September 1994 cover: a red 1963 Chevy II, a red ’57 Chevy Bel Air, Troy Trepanier’s AMC Rambler American Wagon, and Thom Taylor’s blue metallic Ford Thunderbird “Bad Bird” Roadster.

I bought the four-pack for the ’63 Chevy II, of course, but the other cars are pretty sweet too.

2003 | Hot Rod Magazine 4-Pack | 1963 Chevy II | red with 57 Chevy, AMC Rambler, Bad Bird Roadster

This nice cherry metallic 1958 Chevy Impala, packaged with a collector card, is from the 2004 Primedia Hot Rod R4.

Johnny Lightning | 2004 | Primedia Magazine Hot Rod R4 | 1958 Chevy Impala #6 | cherry metallic with card

I also happen to have a loose version of the same 2004 Primedia Hot Rod R4 cherry metallic ’58 Impala.

The opening hood on this model lifts up far enough for it to stay open by itself, allowing me to get a shot of the engine details.

Johnny Lightning | 2004 | Primedia Magazine Hot Rod R4 | 1958 Chevy Impala #6 | red with card

And finally, from 2004 Primedia Magazine Hot Rod R7, I have this fun primer red ’69 Chevy Nova. Unfortunately, I don’t have the collector card – which had the headline “Budget-Beater Streeter” – that came with this model.

Johnny Lightning | 2004 | Primedia Magazine Hot Rod R7 | 1969 Chevy Nova | primer red, opening hood