2009 Johnny Lightning 40 Years Series

2009 was a milestone year for the Johnny Lightning brand, and they celebrated by offering the 40 Years series. One of the things I liked about this series was the packaging. After a few years of JL releasing models encased in indestructible plastic, I really appreciated the return to a simple blister card. As a collector, I probably shouldn’t feel that way, as these are much more susceptible to wear and tear. But I find them a lot warmer and friendlier – and I’m sure this is because this is the way cars were packaged when I bought them as a kid.

From the 40 Years Release 2 I have this nice dark red metallic 1970 Chevy Nova SS.

2009 | 40 Years R2 | 1970 Chevy Nova SS | dark red metallic

40 Years Release 4 featured this sharp flamed-out 1965 Chevy Impala SS.

2009 | 53905MP | 40 Years R4 | 1965 Chevy Impala SS | black with yellow flames

40 Years Release 6 included two Impalas; a custom ’59 convertible and a metallic purple ’65 SS.

2009 | 53727RP | 40 Years R6 | 1959 Chevy Impala | black, no hood

2009 | 53905NP | 40 Years R6 | 1965 Chevy Impala SS | metallic purple

And finally, from 40 Years Release 8, I have this maroon 1965 Chevy Impala SS convertible.

2009 | 53905PP | 40 Years R8 | 1965 Chevy Impala SS convertible | maroon with Cragar SS rims

2006 Johnny Lightning High Impact Muscle 1970 Chevy Nova SS

The 2006 Johnny Lightning High Impact Muscle series was another single-release line, consisting of four individual cars, with several more models available in a 5-car set. The series celebrated the “mod” period from 1969 to 1971, when automakers were exploring bright, attention-grabbing paints. This Vitamin C Orange 1970 Nova with black SS stripes is number 1 in the series.

The extra in this series is a miniature car cover, sewn in a fabric that matches the bright paint on the cars. The part of me that hates dusting my collection wishes I had one for every single one of my loose cars.

Johnny Lightning | 2006 | High Impact Muscle #1 | 1970 Chevy Nova SS | orange with car cover

Johnny Lightning Chevy Thunder

The Johnny Lightning Chevy Thunder series was produced from 2004 until 2007 featuring “all of your favorite Bow-Tie rides,” including many Novas and Impalas. Sometimes the cars in this series were packaged with extras, and sometimes not. The 2005 Release 2 – from which I have the 1970 Nova SS and the 1959 Impala – included a Chevy ignition key.

2005 | Chevy Thunder R2 #13 | 1970 Chevy Nova SS | black with stripes & ignition key

2005 | Chevy Thunder R2 #18 | 1959 Chevy Impala | tan with ignition key

The back of the card lists the different castings available in Release 2.

2006 Chevy Thunder Release 5 was a simple blister card with nothing extra. From this release I have the 1969 Impala SS Convertible and the 1966 Nova SS.

2006 | Chevy Thunder R5 #26 | 1969 Chevy Impala SS Convertible | black with white top

2006 | Chevy Thunder R5 #27 | 1966 Chevy Nova SS | gray metallic

The back of the card lists the different castings available in Release 5.

2006 Release 6 brought back the ignition key. This lovely dark green metallic 1965 Impala includes a key stamped with the famous Chevy 409 emblem.

2006 | Chevy Thunder R6 #29 | 1965 Chevy Impala | dark green metallic with black top, regular wheels, ignition key

The back of the card lists the different castings available in Release 6.

For 2007 Release 7, the packaging became much more complicated and the extra was a collector card. Here’s a fun ’65 Impala convertible from R7.

2007 | 53905E | Chevy Thunder R7 #1 | 1965 Chevy Impala convertible | brown, Cragar wheels

The back of the package lists the different castings available in Release 7. It also has a window to view the back of the collector card and the other side of the vehicle.

And finally – probably my favorite of my Chevy Thunder collection – this nice yellow 1970 Chevy Nova SS from the 2007 Release 8.

2007 | Chevy Thunder R8 | 1970 Chevy Nova SS #4 | yellow with white top, collector card

The back of the package lists the different castings available in Release 8. It also has a window to view the back of the collector card and the other side of the vehicle.

Johnny Lightning Pro Collector Series

The Johnny Lightning Pro Collector Series was produced from 2001 to 2003 and featured six different segments; Muscle Cars, Camaro, Mustang or Shelby, Chevy, Mopar, and Corvette. The models were spread out over 4 releases and each one included a nice collectible storage tin. There are 2 models per segment in each release, for a grand total of 48 different cars.

This 1963 Chevy Impala Z11 is from the Chevy R1.

One fun, unexpected detail of these is that a picture of the top of the vehicle is printed on the bottom of the inside of the tin.

Johnny Lightning | 2001 | Pro Collector Series R1 #4 | 1963 Impala Z11 | dark blue, opening hood | collectable storage tin

Also from the Chevy segment, I have the 1970 Nova from R4.

Johnny Lightning | 2003 | Pro Collector Series R4 Chevy #41 | 1970 Chevy Nova SS | red, opening hood | collectable storage tin