Since the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States, we have never lacked for a glut of Super Mario Brothers merchandise. The Legend of Zelda, though? Selections there were always few and far between in the 80s and 90s. Despite its popularity with gamers, the series never really boiled over into mainstream consciousness…until 1998 with the release of Ocarina of Time. Then it was everywhere. Including, so it seems, on die-cast cars.
Nintendo knew what they had on their hands. Once Ocarina of Time was met with widespread critical acclaim, they opened up the flood gates. Zelda was licensed for action figures, books, school supplies, pocket watches (I’ll get to that), and many other items of varying quality. One of those items was this Johnny Lightning brand die-cast car from 1999 which pre-dates Link’s arrival to the Mario Kart circuit by 15 years.
Taken from their Racing Dreams series which highlights ‘The Greatest Race Cars that Never Were’, Johnny Lightning picked an NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) 1997 Pontiac Firebird to drop an Ocarina of Time coat of paint onto. As seen in the pictures below, these were definitely some choices.
Why they went for the orange and blue base combination I’ll never understand. But, in keeping with Zelda’s medieval theme, the hood is decorated in castle-like stonework decals with the iconic Zelda logo and Hylian Shield emblazoned over top. You’ll also find the logo and shield on both sides of the car as well, along with the Hero of Time himself gazing out at whichever would-be drivers would dare pass him. In addition, Johnny Lightning put a set of Goodyear racing tires on and plastered the car with sponsor stickers (bonus points if you can identify them all).
The other item that came with the car is a collectible trading card. The front is just identifying info along with the stock Zelda, N64, and Link imagery. The back, however, shows that whoever was on this project at Johnny Lightning put in at least a little bit of effort. Besides giving the general starting plot of Ocarina of Time, it also points out Shigeru Miyamoto and his team’s effort to create Hyrule’s virtual world. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to see those kinds of details when I pulled these back out again.
When I picked up this car in 1999, it only cost $4.99. Back when collecting figures required you to actually go to a store to find the item you wanted, I was surprised when I saw this hanging from a peg hook. I figured it was worth five bucks and it’s lived in my collection ever since. The fact that it still looks like this after being played with by all three of my children is a testament to the durability and quality of the car.
If YOU would also like to be the proud owner of this premium quality car, you should be able to find them on eBay at a fairly reliable range of $25-$40 on average. Bumper to bumper warranty, not included.
