- BODY: Johnny Lightning
- WHEELS/TIRES: Road Race Replicas
I have never owned one of the original Aurora Cobras; when I find them for sale they are either missing the windshield or driver’s head-or both, or they are $100. And I would pay that, if it weren’t for a reproduction being available. What I don’t know is how close of a copy to the original the Johnny Lightning/Auto World variation is. I know its close; it may not be exact.
One thing I know is different between the original and the repro is the new version lacks a driver, leaving me to add my own. This is another thing I would do differently if I did it now; at the time when I was first building these cars and before I conceived on of a full racing fleet, I chose a jaunty looking Sunday driver with his arm casually resting on the top of the door frame; having put numbers on the car and taken it racing, I would today prefer to have a helmeted pilot, but hey, maybe he’s just a really experienced and relaxed racing driver! The size and position of the driver is certainly right, though!
Released before Playing Mantis split into 2 companies (selling it’s Johnny Lightning diecast rights briefly to Tomy, who in turn sold them again to Round 2), the T-jet reissues were sold under that name rather than the Auto World moniker. That was when this body was released. I choose the classic American racing scheme of white with blue stripes over blue with white stripes in deference to Briggs Cunningham, but when it arrived was a little disappointed to find that it is pearlescent white rather than gloss. Not that I have anything against pearl white but it doesn’t seem quite right on a racing car.
The wheels are right, though! What could be more appropriate than a style of wheel called “Cobra” on a Cobra? Yeah, thought so! So that model of wheel from Road Race Replicas adorns this wicked sports roadster, shod with a set of their own excellent silicone tires.
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